Asylum
by A Musing Cat
Summary: 11 years ago, Phantom was captured By the GIW and 17 year old Danny Fenton disappeared. but when he finally reappears, he's not the quite as sane as before. And he's got something that doesn't belong to him...and its owner wants it back...DxV, DxS
1. Chapter 1

**Yo! My first DP fanfic! My first multi-chapter fanfic! I did it! Cool!**

**This is based off of my fan comic on Deviantart by the same name. I hope this came out as well as the comic is coming along. **

**If you'd like to read the comic, just copy and paste this address (without the spaces)**

**http:// www. Deviantart .com/ deviation/ 42255315 /**

**I hope you like this, and please read and review (try to avoid flames, please)**

* * *

_The shadows are broken_

A low rumble sounded through the small space, as the mechanisms holding the heavy mechanical door shut unlocked, permitting a human form to enter.

Except for her helmet and weapons bag (they made her leave those outside, just in case), her battle-suit was fully activated, black and slightly glowing red metal. Her hair was as long as it was 13 years ago, still held back from her face with a yellow bandanna.

Valerie Gray stood in the doorway, feeling more then hearing the pneumatic hiss of the door closing firmly behind her. It made her nervous that she couldn't just have it left open in case she needed to flee (not that she would), but then HE might escape (not that he could either). They'd assured her his restraints more or less paralyzed his powers, reducing the enormous strength inherent to his kind to the point he was barley able to stand.

The gloom of the room was broken only by a few dim lights built into the ceiling, illuminating padded walls and the single figure kneeling in the center of the room.

Eyes closed and head bowed, he looked a bit as if he was praying. But of course, Valerie knew, that wasn't especially likely.

Valerie hadn't seen him in 11 years, almost no one had, and she only caught a quick glimpse of his new form before he was finally captured back then. So his appearance might as well have changed gradually like a human's although he probably was exactly the same as on that final day of his freedom.

Valerie cleared her throat to catch his attention. His eyes immediately snapped open and he whipped his head up to look directly at her. The very first thing Valerie could see of him was those eyes. Although still a glowing acid green in basic color, they seemed to turn yellowy, almost orange, where the frail light hit them, the only color in otherwise obsidian dark eyes, dark purple-grey shadows tinting the skin around them as well. Although she could still see how his hair fell into his face the same, it's much longer now, falling a little past his shoulders in the spiky tufts indicating lack of care the last two inches fringed in crimson red. Shoulders have broadened and his childish skinniness has become the form of a lanky adult.

The sides of his HAZMAT had been slit open vertically for a few inches along the sides of his stomach, lime green bandages showing beneath, matching the random belts and chains adorning his legs and arms. And defiantly important was the white straps crisscrossing his chest, over crossed arms, holding him as if in a straitjacket. Essentially what the straps are, a straitjacket for a Ghost.

Phantom cocked his head to the side slightly, staring at her with his new (to her) eyes. She stared back at him, despite the chills that eerie gaze sent through her.

"Huh." His voice was deeper then she ever expected and in the flat air of the room, the echo of it rebounded on itself.

"Are you… here to forgive me and get me out or…" his neutral expression changed to one of solemn anxiety. "Did you come to rip me apart in vengeance?"

Oh, how she wished. But the GIW would be rather pissed if she took out their prize catch. Valerie decided not to immediately respond, and raised her left arm, light from the reinforced window built into the door catching the alloys. Phantom saw her actions and interpreted them as a sign of impending doom for him, drawing his shoulders up about his neck and shifting nervously. Valerie almost wanted to smile when she saw this, old animosity fueling the triumphant feel coming from knowledge that he was afraid of her.

Valerie held this tension for a moment before scowling a little and saying

"None of the above ghost. Your lucky day"

The pink whirls of energy surrounded her, ecto-nanotechnology reducing the battle suit to nothingness until she needed it again.

Phantom blinked in shock and raised his head again, evidentially surprised that she would offer a gesture of a truce such as this; they were both powerless now. No one had the advantage. Well no, Valerie had free hands, while Phantom's were bound, but the basic principle was fulfilled.

Valerie attempted to brush some non-existent dirt off her shirt and cut right to the chase of her visit. She'd never been especially patient and today was certainly not any exception.

"I have some questions Ghost." She said, "and my employer informed me you have the answers I need. Which means I require you to be in one piece, at least to start with."

Phantom stared up at her from his spot kneeling on the floor, face more or less emotionless for a moment, before his face cracked into a gigantic grin.

"Well, That's great! In that case, I'm really, really glad to see you!!!"

Valerie almost fell over in shock

"Huh?!"

Whatever she was expecting, it hadn't been for him to start acting as if her coming was the greatest thing ever to happen. The ghost immediately began to blabber on a bit, a cheerful tune seeping into his voice.

"I mean, it's not like there are a ton of people to talk to around here and I can't exactly go looking for someone to have a conversation with…" he sort of shrugged with his arms, indicating the straps that bound them.

"So, really, I'd be happy to see just about anyone, but I'm real glad it's friend" he gave a happy little grin, cocking his head again.

Now Valerie knew inside that he's just playing mind games, tricking her, but, of course, her temper made her fall, hook, line and sinker.

She slapped a hand to her forehead in exasperation. "'Friend'? What the hell are you talking about?!"

Phantom's expression turned almost nostalgic as he gazed ahead

"You know, you're my friend, and I'm yours. We used to play a game together all the time years ago. You made it up and started it and we'd play. But I was the only one you ever played with…"

Valerie felt herself tense in anger at the 'concerned' tone his voice took at this last sentence. He acted like it wasn't any of his fault she'd lost her popularity. Even if they hadn't been true friends, Phantom's false pity was ridiculous.

Phantom continued to speak, unaware of Valerie's irritation.

"I was glad when you started hanging out with other people too though. Like that Star girl" Valerie suddenly knew why she didn't like this new turn. If he was going to mention people she'd been friends with, then… he'd mention…

Phantom's obliviousness continued as he listed more people

"Or Sam and Tuck- OOF!"

Valerie's foot connected with his right cheek before he could finish, sending the spook flying back and hitting the floor on his side, hard. He lay there for a moment, clearly stunned before lifting his head to peer at her through his hair.

"Uhhh… w-…what did you do that for?" he muttered in a wounded tone. He struggled to get himself into a position in which he could stand up without his hands as Valerie watched, hands clenched into fists.

"Don't you dare…" she said quietly, anger dripping from every syllable "speak of things in which you had no involvement and act like you were really part of it."

She didn't want this ghost mentioning him. It was an old wound to her heart and she couldn't bear to hear anything about him from the lips of one of these monsters, a ghost, Phantom most of all.

Phantom finally managed to get back onto his knees, his back to her, when her words reached him. The white haired man paused for a moment but for repeating her words.

"No involvement?" his voice was incredulous, but at the same time, Valerie could have sworn she could actually here the smirk hidden in it.

"Heh" Phantom chuckled as he climbed to his feet. "Heh. Hehheh. Heh, ha. Haha. HA HA!" the ghost burst into laughter as he turned to face her, seemingly in outright hysterics.

Valerie stared at him as if he was crazy. Which, she reminded herself, he technically was. After a few moments more, the ghost's peals of laughter died down to a chuckle and he turned his head to the side to give her an odd grin.

"Heh. Right…" he sniggered a bit more "no involvement. Sooo, you said you wanted to ask me something?

Valerie blinked in surprise. "Uh…yes…yeah, I did."

She'd actually forgotten for a moment that was what she'd came here for. Valerie paused, carefully wording together her next words. How to ask? She could be roundabout and edge him into the subject, but given Phantom's tendency to mess with people's heads, it'd be easy for him to sidetrack her no doubt. Better to be blunt and to-the-point.

"You…" she addressed the ghost standing before her, a patient smile on his face "did you ever hear… of a ghost named Clockwork?"

The change that came over Phantom's face was almost fascinating to watch, his eyes going wide as possible; looking as if she'd suddenly punched him. Then his face twisted even more, an expression of something Valerie just couldn't explain. It was outright horror, or maybe anguish, but whatever it was, it was tinted with some ghostliness that made his face seem almost grotesque.

"C-Clockwork?" Phantom rasped, his voice suddenly dry and choked sounding. Valerie crossed her arms and waited for the ghost to say more. If that expression didn't say 'guilty', she didn't know what did.

Phantom drew his shoulders once more up around his ears, staring at Valerie's feet as he stuttered, obviously without any order to his thoughts.

"Ah…. I-I…Ca-…I don't…"

Valerie watched him for a moment when an idea struck her. He apparently didn't want to say too much. So she'd just have to give him some incentive. With this thought, Valerie turned on her heels and started towards the exit.

"Hmph" she grumbled, just loud enough for Phantom to hear (although with ghost hearing, who knew what he could or couldn't notice), "fine, don't answer. I'll just go. See you never." She grimaced (although he couldn't see it) before muttering under her breath "what a waste of my time"

Phantom had snapped to attention the moment she showed any signs of leaving.

"Ah! W-wait!! H-hey, don't leave!!!" he yelped, an almost hysterical note creeping into his voice. Valerie stopped, standing not an inch in front of the door. Phantom took only a few seconds to compose himself somewhat before attempting to ask a question of his own, still stammering slightly.

"Ah…where did you hear that name? Clock- um…" phantom stopped halfway through the name as if unable to continue.

Valerie answered without turning around. "Not that I pay attention or anything… but a few of my 'targets' have been muttering that name."

"Wha…" Phantom sounded bewildered and began to mutter quietly to himself, still unable to completely say this 'Clockwork's name. Valerie managed to pick out the phrase "why would a random ghost be talking about Clock-… that guy?

Valerie turned to glare triumphantly at Phantom, "HA! So you DO know something!!"

Phantom looked stricken, but before he could protest, Valerie closed the space between them and grabbed the front of Phantom's HAZMAT.

"Spill it ghost." She growled directly to his face.

"Uh…He's…well…um" Phantom smiled sheepishly at her "what do you want me to say?"

Valerie could feel a vein pulsing on her forehead, "eh?'

"Clo- that guy is different things to different people." Phantom said, stepping back as Valerie released him from her grip "a rescuer. An imprisoner. An employer…"

"Right…" Valerie raised an eyebrow at him. She swore he trying to be difficult. "So, what is he for you?"

"For… me?" a frown appeared on Phantoms face as he lifted his head to look directly up at the ceiling. "All of that… my teacher. My surrogate parent…" he trailed off and an even more apprehensive look appeared in his face.

"And if need ever be, my executioner."

The words fell from his mouth as if they weighed a thousand tons.

Valerie very much wished he'd start saying some stupid banter or something instead of this _completely uninformative crap _he was now spouting with such melodrama. And she expressed such a wish by calmly taking off her boot and chucking it directly at Phantom's head.

It hit the same spot she'd kicked him earlier.

"YOU'RE A PAIN IN THE BUTT, YOU KNOW THAT?" Valerie yelled, angrily shaking her fist at him.

"I mean, don't you ever talk in actual, connected paragraphs instead of just random fragment? AAARRRGGHH!"

Phantom just swayed on the spot a bit, looking dazed by his second head injury in under half an hour.

Valerie turned around to leave (for real this time) and yanked open the door that the GIW had unlocked seconds ahead of time since they'd been watching everything through the security cameras.

Valerie made a distinct point to slam the door behind her.

* * *

Danny flinched at the loud noise the door sent to his over-sensitive eardrums. His already increased senses were tenfold what they had been when he was 15, and while the padded cell he spent every moment of his life in normally didn't cause problems, lack of exposure to anything seemed to have lowered his comfort levels. He shuddered to think of what the day sun would be like to his twilight adjusted eyes.

Danny noticed something lying on the ground halfway between the door and himself. Upon a few seconds further examination, it proved to be Valerie's boot. Which made sense, seeing as she had thrown it at him and hadn't stopped to put it back on.

The door creaked open again and Valerie gazed sullenly at Danny through the opening. She did this for barely a second before quickly darting in, snatching her AWOL boot and departing again. This time she didn't bother to slam the door (much to Danny's relief)

The hybrid sighed almost half-heartedly.

"Ah, well…" he muttered, pouting a little "maybe I was just hallucinating again."

He sat down casually as he could and continued to voice his thoughts

"All she did was kick me and throw a boot at me. The Valerie I knew probably wouldn't have done any less then rip me apart molecule by molecule or something like that…"

He paused for a moment before admitting to the empty room, "still wouldn't mind seeing her again though, illusion or not…"

The empty room had no answer to this. Maybe it hadn't seen Valerie and agreed he was hallucinating.

About then, the nerves on Danny's abused cranium began to throb and sting from Valerie's 'eloquent responses' to his comments. Danny gritted his teeth and wished very badly he could rub his scalp.

"Oooooww… my head hurts… awfully solid hallucination, that was…"

Strait jackets were annoying, he decided.

* * *

Valerie walked over to where she'd laid her back weapon bag against a nearby wall. To either side of her, the brightly lit hallway stretched on, the walls dotted with other containment cells and the occasional machinery/ computer console. Every thing was either chrome, iron-grey, off white or a pale glowing blue.

As Valerie lifted her weapons bag up from the floor, she was startled by a sudden voice behind her.

"Why did you deactivate your battle suit Miss Gray?"

Valerie jumped and turned her head to see a pair of wide shouldered men with shaved heads, dressed in identical white suits with black HAZMAT gloves, earpiece communicators and sunglasses. The GIW, in other words, the Guys In White. The two agents standing behind her seemed to be the same originally assigned to capture Phantom, although given that pretty much all the agents were nearly identical, they might just as well not be.

Valerie pulled her weapons bag on with a projected casualty. "Phantom was nervous for as long as I was wearing it. He only relaxed enough to speak once he felt I was unarmed."

Valerie ginned slyly at the GIW agents after saying this.

"And why should it matter? Afraid he'd attack me or escape? Didn't you guys inform me before I entered the containment cell that his restraints were modified to drain him and reduce his powers so much he can barely stand?"

She was right of course. There was no reason for the GIW to get upset if what they'd told her was true. The agents in question simply ignored this logic however, and decided to change the subject.

"Did you get the information you wanted?" one of the agents asked

Valerie felt a vein pulse in her forehead. These guys went out of their way to annoy her it seemed, even more so then Phantom did.

"Why do you just change the subject whenever I start to prove my point?"

"Did you get the information?" the second agent asked. Valerie suppressed a groan of frustration.

"No. He started freaking out after I questioned him about the name 'Clockwork' and I couldn't get any real facts from him after that."

"Ah! So you found another one of his triggers?"

Valerie yelped and jumped, turning to look towards the source of the voice.

"What's with the sneaking up behind people in this place…. huh?" Valerie trailed off as she blinked in recognition. "You're-"

"Long time, no see, Valerie" said the Asian man standing behind her, sporting a pair of glasses and a lab coat over slacks, a dress short and a tie. "Hey guys," he addressed the GIW agents "would you mind if I accompanied our guest to the exit while asking her some questions?"

"Permission granted" an agent replied. Both then turned on their heels and stomped off, leaving Valerie and Kwan behind. Valerie immediately turned as well and began to walk to the lobby of the facility, Kwan following after.

"So…" Valerie peered curiously at Kwan "what are you doing here?"

Kwan grinned, "Well, for starters, I work here! I'm a psychologist specializing in ecto-biology."

Valerie paused for a moment before asking "ok… so you're a ghost shrink?"

He laughed "eh, sure, why not?"

By now they had reached the lobby, which looked rather like a waiting room at a doctor's office, what with the rows of visitor's chairs on one wall, a receptionist's booth and a potted plant (plastic or real, they didn't know). All you needed to complete the illusion was some old magazines and grumpy sick people.

Valerie and Kwan stopped just before the double doors leading out. Valerie noted the ghost detector/ghost shield planted over the top of the doorframe.

"In any case," Kwan said, "how did phantom react to your presence? After deactivating the suit but before he 'freaked out' as you put it?"

"Oh, um…" Valerie paused, knowing what she was about to say sounded rather… unusual. "He acted… actually… Happy. Like he was glad I came."

Kwan stared at her in shock "he did!?" the ecto-psychologist turned away from Valerie, mumbling to himself, "bizarre… that makes two…"

"I get how it's bizarre, but what do you mean by 'two'?" Valerie said to Kwan's back. He answered her without turning around

"Phantom normally acts…almost feral. When he responds at all, anyway. Most of the time he just seems to be in a bit of a stupor."

Kwan looked meaningfully back at Valerie "but there are now two people he towards whom he acts human-like and seems happy to see. They are you… and me."

Valerie blinked in confusion. While she could tell this fascinated Kwan as a scientist who studied the mentality of ghosts, and it was rather odd, it didn't seem like much of a big deal to her. "Ooookay… so what does that mean?"

Kwan grinned apologetically and shrugged. "No clue, other then that you and I are the only ones who can talk to Phantom, and then, only for a little while."

"Why's that?" Valerie decided to sit down on one of the chairs lining the walls, he heavy weapons bag pulling at her shoulders without the battle-suit accompanying it.

"He freaks. Hears the wrong word and he goes into hysterics. Sometimes the word, his 'trigger', is simple and common (I think the term 'left arm' set him off once), and sometimes it isn't. There were a couple of times when he actually had some hallucination induced by his 'trigger'."

Valerie's mind turned this over for a moment before the word's impact hit. She jolted straight up in her chair.

"Wait, wait, wait. He's HALLUCINATED?!"

"The GIW agents seriously didn't tell you anything about his mental state at all?" Kwan's troubled expression did nothing to make Valerie feel better.

_Ignorance is bliss, Valerie _she thought

"What's to know?" she asked

So much for ignorance.

"Phantom has been declared by myself and others… as having no less then two psychological disorders, possibly more." Kwan looked more serious then Valerie had ever seen him before.

"He has been diagnosed with chronic insomnia, hysteria, oneirophrenia and possibly some variant of schizophrenia."

Valerie understood what he was saying

Phantom was insane.

* * *

Danny Phantom felt the clearness he'd felt when Valerie (? Was it her? For real?) had come start to fade. The sense of unreality he'd spent years at a time in returned and he felt each muscle slacken, his brain unable to tell whether his muscles were responding to it's signals or not. He stared dully across the room, and waited. Waited. Waited

He couldn't remember what he was waiting for.

* * *

**I know there was a lot of dialogue there, but… I really love writing conversations. The next chapter ought to have more action in it. By the way, in case it isn't too clear, it's been 13 years since urban jungle and 11 years that Danny's been in captivity.**

**Please, reviews are seriously appreciated. Thanks.**


	2. Whisper

Whew! So sorry I didn't get this up sooner, things kept coming up … yeh, here's chapter two! For the record, the name of each chapter is the name of an actual song, and that song can be considered the 'theme' for each chapter… just some random thing I came up with… anyways, I hope you like this chapter and if you'd like to read the comic version, simply copy and paste this - http:// www. deviantart. com/ deviation /43777341/ - without the spaces of course. Yeh, and please feel free to review!

hr 

**Chapter two**

'**Whisper'**

'_**Catch me as I fall,**_

_**Say you're here and it's all over now,**_

_**Speaking to the atmosphere**_

_**No one's here and I fall unto myself**_

_**This truth drives me into madness**_

_**I know I can stop the pain if I will it all away…'**_

_**-'Whisper', by Evanescence**_

Two Guys In White agents lounged in the hall, one calmly drinking coffee while they didn't discuss the information that Ms. Gray hadn't gotten. Both were the perfect GIW image of stoic detached agents, completely emotionless seeming.

"You people sent me into a hysterical, schizophrenic, insomniac ghost's cell… WITHOUT TELLING ME FIRST!!!???"

The agent's jumped and the one with coffee promptly spilled it on himself. So much for stoicism.

Down said hall, Valerie's delayed reaction had hit rather hard, especially for the poor GIW who had happened to be walking. Valerie, now holding him by the collar and seemed about two seconds away from throttling him, was feeling very, very pissed off with the whole agency.

Kwan was nervously edging up behind her as she glared death at the trembling agent in her grip.

"Uh…" Kwan started, paused then gathered his courage (he remembered Valerie's rage from high school and had no intention of turning on himself) "Phantom also has Oneirophrenia, which causes persons affected by it to have a feeling of constant dream-like unreality which in it's extreme forms may cause delusions and hallucinations. It's a schizophrenia-like acute form of psychosis-"

Valerie looked over her shoulder at him; momentarily distracted from the GIW she was inflicting a near-death experience upon.

"I don't care if it means he farts fireballs!! Why didn't anyone tell me?"

Valerie's victim decided at that point to try to save his skin, stuttering out an excuse

"W-we weren't notified you were uninformed about Phantom's psychological ailments- ack…" he choked slightly when Valerie tightened her grip on his throat. Kwan immediately stepped forward to prevent any unfortunate events, prying her hands from the agent's collar and pulling her by the shoulder down the hall

"Yes, yes, come on Valerie, they won't make that mistake again…" he coaxed to the fuming ghost hunter. "The receptionist told me your employer sent your driver and he should be here any second now, so, let's go."

"Hmph" Valerie grumbled as Kwan more or less pushed her through the double doors that led outside.

After barely a minute of waiting, a black mini-limo pulled up around the entranceway, having mad it past the security checks successfully. Valerie rolled her eyes at the rather fancy car. Her employer had a taste for the grandeur that she didn't share. Very likely this was the plainest car he had to offer.

"Sorry you couldn't find out what you wanted from phantom." Kwan said to Valerie as she climbed into the backseat "hey, if you need anymore access to our facility, just give me a ring, alright?'

Valerie nodded appreciatively before closing the door. "Thanks Kwan. Guess I'll you around."

Kwan waved as the car pulled away. He gave a rather wistful sigh.

"Why didn't I just take her to that dance back then?"⑴

hr 

Valerie stared glumly out the window. She'd directed the driver to drop her of at her apartment complex, but it was at least an hour drive. She'd learned absolutely nothing of interest from Phantom other then that he was mentally unstable and had some sort of connection with this 'Clockwork' ghost. And, of course, she was seriously irritated with that fact that that name was enough to make Phantom get a bit hysterical, so she couldn't really ask him to clarify beyond his rambling what Clockwork was.

A beeping from her pocket distracted her from her musing and she pulled her cell phone out, immediately answering when she saw 'DALV' glowing on the screen under caller ID.

"Hello? Mr. Masters?"

She listened for a moment to whatever it was the Vlad Co. CEO was saying before answering

"Yeah, I was trying to find out more… I managed to talk to Phantom, since you said he might know, but-"

She was interrupted, and a puzzled expression came over her face as she listened.

"Huh?! You were the one who said… Yeah, of course I knew where to find him, wait, didn't you-"

Valerie paused when all she could hear was silence.

"Mr. Masters?.." she asked after a moment. After a couple of seconds passed the man answered, apologizing, that his thoughts had drifted off for a moment. Valerie continued with what she had been saying

"Sir, aren't you funding that particular branch of the GIW? How is it you weren't aware Phantom was…"

She was once again interrupted, quick instructions sounding from over the phone.

"Oh. Yeah, yes sir, I'll get right on it."

Valerie heard the click that indicated her employer had hung up. Snapping the phone shut, she stared at it for a few moments before looking out the window again, an anxious expression on her face.

"Weird…" Valerie muttered. Mr. Masters had seemed shocked to discover that he was in fact the financer to the very building Phantom was being held within. But he usually seemed to know everything about anything he was involved in. for him to be in the dark about something as big as this was extremely unusual.

Valerie shook her head to clear it. None of it mattered right now. She had other things to take care off.

hr 

Danny sat slumped near the corner of his cell farthest from the door. He felt the haze descending on his mind again, making every thought seem blurred and fuzzy.

_It's quiet…. _He mused silently, closing his eyes. _Everything… it all seems so vague…_

He closed his eyelids tighter. _…?...I feel dizzy…_

"**Danny…**"

Danny's eyes snapped open. He blinked, startled by the sudden noise.

_Wait… that voice… is it? _

He couldn't not recognize it, how could he? He didn't dare turn to see if it was-

"**Danny… look…**" the sound echoed from off to his right again. Danny felt a surge of happiness.

_That's-_

"Mom!" he yelped cheerfully

He whipped his head around to see the source of the voice, an excited grin on his face

"Mo-"

He stopped short, staring, shock forming on his face as his eyes went wide. The expression shifted and became utter horror...

_Drip_

_Drip_

Danny's ears couldn't pick up the sound of the blood drops hitting the floor, but his mind insisted there was a noise.

Danny started to tremble as he looked at the nightmare standing before him, a horror that took the shape of his mother, drenched in her own blood from various wounds covering her body. She/it was holding her hands up to her face, looking vacantly between them at Danny.

'**Oh, sweetie…**" the apparition said, an sad half grin on her/it's face, blood running down it "**Look at what you've done to me…**"

She stretched a bloodied hand till she was almost touching the side of Danny's face. Danny felt his slow, barely existent pulse increase with fear, even though he knew- _he knew _– this wasn't real, just another hallucination visiting him. But the terror that was gripping him had its claws in tight and he couldn't get away.

"**Danny… why?...**"

The hallucination's hand was barely a centimeter from his face when Danny unfroze from his shock.

"AAAARRRGGGHHH!!!!" Danny screamed and threw himself as far back against the wall as he could, the ghost-proof pads covering it refusing to wield against his attempts to sink through. Danny shuddered and squeezed his eyes closed as tight as he could, turning his head to the side, away from the bleeding image of his mother.

"N-no!" Danny gasped, "I-I didn't… No, go away!!!" he curled up, pulling his knees up to his face "Please… go away, disappear, disappear, oh god, please…."

He shuddered, gritting his teeth. Shaking his head in an attempt to rid his mind of these images.

"I don't want to see, disappear, please, you're not real, please, disappear, I don't wan to see…"

Silence. The 'sound' of dripping blood was gone, Danny realized. After a minute, Danny opened an eye a little, peering through his hair.

He wished he hadn't.

The nightmare visage of Maddie had leaned down so she was directly face to face with Danny. She/it smiled sickly as she/it gazed at him.

"**All your fault Danny…**"

"AGGHHH! Danny yelled again and scrambled to the side, struggling to stand up without the use of his arms before tripping and falling flat on his face.

"S-stop… leave me alone…." Danny muttered as he pulled himself up slowly. He knew, KNEW she/it was just a illusion brought to his eyes by his own broken mind but it hurt… he didn't wan to think, didn't want to see… didn't wan to hear words accusing him of some terrible act that resulted in the fatal injury of someone he had loved.

Danny threw back his head; eyes squeezed shut tight and screamed

"LEAVE ME ALONE!!!"

He gasped, a jolt running through him. The green-eyed ghost blinked and saw what was standing in front of him for the first time. A powerfully built African American man dressed as all GIW agent did except for the strip of short unshaven hair running across the top of his head like a Mohawk was holding back Danny's head as he pulled the tranquilizer syringe from Danny's neck. The tiny amount of the substance left on the needle glowed a sickly violet, hinting at the use of ectoplasm in its formula.

Danny swayed for a moment, eyes wide as the sedative circulated his body before his eyes dulled and he swayed slightly before collapsing completely with a groan.

Danny's sight weaved in and out before him as the GIW agent leaned down to stare at the set of straps holding Danny's arms, a flicker of concern crossing his otherwise emotionless face. After a moment, the man turned to go, stomping purposefully out of the cell. Danny struggled to lift his head to watch him go.

As the man walked, he passed by the blurry, disappearing form that had appeared on seconds before to be an undead version of Danny's mother, now vanishing into nothing.

Danny let his head fall with a thump and smiled remorsefully.

"Good… Ridd… Ance…" he managed to mumble as is thoughts clouded and the room became even dimmer before his hazy eyesight.

hr 

Kwan Li had graduated college with a masters in ecto-biology, specifically in psychology; although he had by no means been at the top of his class at the time a mere 4 years ago, he'd been hired almost immediately by the GIW to help keep the ghosts they captured under control. In exchange, he was paid generously and allowed to record anything he discovered that applied to his field of study.

So now, here he was, peering into the cell of a creature with enough power to take out a city in a matter of hours as his boss calmly walked in to subdue it unarmed except for a tranquilizer needle, and two more agents quietly arguing behind him (something about which type of bleach left their uniforms cleaner).

They immediately shut up as the cell door opened and Supervisor Marshall, the agent in charge of the facility stomped out.

"Has the Lab reported whether or not the new ectodraining restraints are finished yet?" Supervisor Marshall growled (his normal form of speech).

"We haven't heard, Supervisor." One of the present GIW men said before Kwan could say anything.

"Well, find out!!!"

"Uh… Sir?" Kwan raised a hand as if in school in hopes of getting his boss's attention.

The two combat agents interrupted him

"We'll try to get things to hurry up, Sir, but it might not be a good idea to make it a rush job. For safety issues."

Kwan blinked in frustration as Sup. Marshall turned to address them again

"Well, try anyway."

"Uh… Supervisor?" Kwan sputtered, thoroughly indignant at being ignored in favor of a couple of combat agents "Sir? EXCUSE ME?!"

All three of the other GIW turned to stare at him. After a moment of awkward pause, Sup. Marshall spoke.

"What is it, Dr. Li?"

Kwan sighed with exasperation.

"Those new restraints were finished two weeks ago. It'll only take a few minutes to get one for use."

Mentally, he cursed that even though the actually usefulness of the combat agents would fall to pieces without the contributions of the lab scientists, they were still often given more credit in the ranks. Stupid favoritism.

Sup. Marshall didn't even blink an eye at Kwan's statement and nodded curtly.

"Very good. Here, hold this while I retrieve a set of the restraints then." He said, tossing the still not-completely-empty tranquilizer syringe he'd used on Phantom at Kwan, who yelped and fumbled with it for a moment before managing to get a safe grip upon it.

As Kwan breathed a sign of relief for having spent years of high school playing football, one of the combat GIW hesitantly began to say something before stopping, getting his nerves together and poking Sup. Marshall's shoulder to get his attention.

The agent cringed when Sup. Marshall turned to glare at him.

"Sir, wait…" the GIW asked "we're going to change Phantom's restraints now?!"

"Isn't that rather dangerous?" his partner added.

A troubled look passed over Sup. Marshall's face as he turned completely so he staring down at them (being easily 6 feet and 4 inches tall)

"Oh?" he muttered, "well, think about this." The troubled look changed to one far more intimidating. "He's begun to break his current restraints. When I sedated him, I saw one of the major straps had already snapped in half."

The combat agents paled. The restraints weren't just ghost-proof after all; they actively suppressed a ghosts powers to 25 of its normal abilities and had the strength to hold an enraged bull elephant.

"That's… unsettling…" one agent said, glancing at his partner

"What a monster" the other agreed, pulling on his collar slightly.

Kwan stared at the syringe in his hands, turning it over and looking at the few drops of glowing lavender substance within. "If that's the case,…" he said, face serious "we should defiantly change them now, while Phantom's sedated…"

There was another quiet moment before Sup. Marshall glared at the combat agents.

"WELL?! GO GET THOSE RESTRAINTS!!!"

"Yes Sir!!!"

The two GIW dashed off in the direction of the science department. Sup. Marshall watched them for a moment before looking over his shoulder at Kwan.

"Dr. Li, go get another tranquilizer and an ecto-pistol you know how to handle."

Kwan blinked in surprise. "Huh? Sir? What for?"

The look on Sup. Marshall's face was giving Kwan a serious case of the creeps. The only time he'd felt more nervous was whenever he needed to go into a ghost's cell to question them for his research.

Uh-oh. Wait a sec…

"You'll need them…" Sup. Marshall said with agonizing slowness "because you're coming in with us as precautionary backup."

Five minutes later, Kwan was trembling like a leaf during hurricane season in front of Phantom's cell while Sup. Marshall punched the entry doe into the pad next to the cell door. The two GIW agents from earlier were standing on both Kwan's left and his right, giving him the uncomfortable illusion that they were there to keep him from funning away.

The agent on his left noticed Kwan's chattering teeth and peered curiously at his terrified face.

"Dr. Li, You've spoken alone with Phantom before, haven't you?" the agent asked with what was almost a puzzled frown "why are you so nervous if that's true?"

Kwan gave him the type of grin you generally give people when you're freaked to the point that you almost want to laugh

"Y-yeah, but he always had EctoDraining restraints before. _This is a bit different_!!!

At this point, Sup. Marshall had finished typing in the code and had had his DNA identification confirmed by the small scanner at the bottom of the keyboard. The door swung open automatically, casting light directly onto the ghost lying in a heap on the floor of the cell.

Kwan flinched as the door also shut automatically once the motion detector over it had recognized that they were all inside. It would take less time for them to get out due to the small remotes they each carried, but it would still take more time then Kwan wanted to feel was necessary.

Sup. Marshall stepped forward, staring at Phantom's apparently unconscious form.

"Agents 22A and 22B, hold the ghost up" he addressed the GIW men before addressing the ecto-psychologist attempting to hide behind them "Dr. Li, be ready with the ecto-pistol, and the sedative in case we need them"

"Yes sir!" the agents chorused, stepping cautiously forward until they were standing directly next to where Phantom lay. With the odd teamwork the GIW agents so often seemed to instinctively possess, they calmly propped Phantom up onto his knees, supporting him with a hand on each shoulder. The white-haired ghosts head lolled forward, casting his face into deep shadows.

Sup. Marshall leaned down in front of them, holding up a small device he'd picked up while Kwan was getting the backup supplies and agents 22A and B were getting the new restraints. He gave took a deep breath, showing his own first sign of nervousness.

"Alright then…" the large man muttered before pressing the button on the small device.

Immediately, the restraints binding Phantom already snapped off and fell to the floor in response to the silent signal given off by the control and Phantom's arms fell from their crossed position to hang by his sides for what might have been the first time in years. Agents 22A and B glanced nervously at each other at this point, obviously unable to deny that they weren't worried that Phantom was not only returned to full power but also un secured.

Sup. Marshall seemed to ignore this however, unlocking a silver briefcase he's brought in with him while Kwan swallowed anxiously behind him. The case opened to reveal a straitjacket like item folded carefully within it.

Kwan watched, the ecto-pistol in hand, as Sup. Marshall took the new restraints from it's case and, kneeling behind Phantom's still form, began to carefully fit it onto the ghost, wrapping it around the ghosts arms so that they were completely immobile. The two GIW agents had stood back and drawn their own ecto-pistols while their boss worked, standing ready in case Phantom were to prove dangerous even in such a sedated state.

Sup. Marshall stood back suddenly, the clasps on the back of Phantom's straitjacket snapping together. The man stood, breathing a sign of relief

"Good." He said, surprisingly relieved sounding given his usual more-or-less emotionless-ness "it seem we were lucky… I was a little worried his immunity to tranquilizers would kick in, but it didn't so…"

Agents 22A and 22B followed him as he marched towards the cell door. Kwan just stared ahead for a moment, blinking.

"Huh… wow,…" he murmured as the three GIW passed him. He had been the one to report that Phantom usually revived from the tranquilizers used on him hours before expected. And so of course, he was the one who had been worried even the new dose they'd just put phantom on wouldn't have been enough.

"Uh, nothing happen- EH!?" Kwan stopped midsentance,

"Nnngh…"

Kwan couldn't help starting to tremble again at the noise that came from the ghost in front of him as Phantom raised his head and looked groggily at him, eerie eyes blurred.

"So… Is that… All you guys… Came for?" the ghost's deep voice slurred slightly due to the sedatives' effects still being present.

Kwan took a step back, hearing that the GIW agents had already left, even though the door would still be unlocked for him.

"N-No w-way!!" The psychologist gasped, "You… you weren't actually CONSCIOUS that whole time?!"

Phantom cocked his head to one side, and looked confused. If Kwan hadn't been utterly terrified by now, he would have laughed at how the ghost actually looked almost drunk.

"Oooh... So that stuff… it was supposed to knock me out?" Phantom actually giggled a little "Oops…"

Kwan didn't hear Phantom's comment, too busy looking around at lack of GIW combat agents and generally freaking out

"B-But how long did that tranquilizer work for???" he yelped, finally looking back to Phantom, who had been shaking his head to clear it more.

Phantom stared solemnly back at Kwan, earlier humor lost.

"Didn't you… Hear me? It never worked… Insomnia… Remember?..." Phantom's expression grew even graver. "I can't sleep… Not ever…"

Kwan blinked, remembering, yes, Phantom did indeed have a chronic case of insomnia. Heck, come to think of it, he'd never heard of Phantom having slept in the eleven years the ghost had… been… locked…

Kwan's eyes widened as a sudden moment of realization came over him.

"Wait… then…"

hr 

_Insomnia…_

The digital clock in the corner of the computer screen blinked 2:30 AM and the glow from the screen cast an eerie light on Kwan's face as he browsed his own research files.

Kwan sighed as he closed another page, not finding anything of real worth in his search.

_If Phantom were human, the insomnia could be considered the cause of his other illnesses…_ he scowled at apiece of his writing that, in retrospect, made him wonder if he'd been drunk when he'd written it. _But since he's a ghost… and I don't actually know when the insomnia set in…_

It all depended on which disorder had begun affecting the ghost. If Kwan was right, and the insomnia had been first, a lot of controversy over Phantom's state could be cleared up. A stroke of inspiration struck him and he typed at the keyboard, logging off his own personal account and accessing a different one.

_What does the Records Department say?_

Kwan smiled as the files opened right up before him… then the smile turned to shock.

"What… What the hell?!"

hr 

PLEASE DON'T KILL ME!!!! Yes, I know, it's a cliff hanger in only the second chapter, but… it was necessary! Plus, a good portion of this story is suspense and… yeh. Anyways, please R&R!


	3. FRGT10

**Yaaayyyy!!! AN UPDATE!! Sorry for taking so long, some issues with the plot came up. But the chapter is three pages longer then normal, and it contains part of the back story, so I hope that makes up for the wait! Umm… yeh. Italics are flashback, non-italics aren't. Also, sorry if there are any problems with the tense and such changing, I had to rewrite couple of parts because I kept switching between past and present tense by accident.**

**Oh, and if you want to read the comic version on Deviantart, copy and paste this address (without the spaces) : www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 44800809/**

**Yeh. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**P.S oh yeh, and it gets kinda intense a few times in this chapter, so be prepared.**

hr 

**Chapter three**

'**FRGT/10'**

'**_From the top to the bottom_**

_**Bottom to top I stop**_

_**At the core I've forgotten**_

_**In the middle of my thoughts**_

_**Taken far from my safety**_

_**The picture is there**_

_**The memory won't escape me**_

_**But why should I care?**_

_**In the memory you'll find me,**_

_**Eyes burning up**_

_**The darkness holding me tightly**_

_**Until the sun rises up…'**_

_**-'FRGT/10 (Forgotten), By Linkin Park**_

Danny leaned once more against the side of his prison after Kwan had left in such a rush. He blinked, frustrated, feeling Kwan's questions and his own answers beginning to dredge up things he didn't want to remember. But he couldn't stop himself from thinking, and, as thoughts tend to do, the more he tried not to think, the more he did.

Danny closed his eyes and his head drooped forward as he fell into the trance like state his Oneirophrenia induced, his memories playing before his eyes as if he were really there, in those moments.

He… hadn't been scared of 'It'. Not at first.

And 'He' hadn't scared him… not really. He knew 'He' was just another ghost to defeat.

But the Nightmares started to get worse."

_A monster, with pale grey-green skin and flaming white hair and sharp fangs, human blood splattered on his face, grins, but he's not what's so frightening, it's, it's, it's-_

"_AAAAAHHHH!!!!"_

_14-year old Danny Fenton sits upright with a gasp. He stares at the ceiling of his room for a moment, gasping, before recognizing where he is and glancing about, checking the corners of the room for hidden boogey-men. Upon realizing he's the only thing in the room, he gives a sigh and pulls his legs up to his chest and wraps his arms around them, pulling himself into a ball. _

_He clenches his teeth and draws himself in a bit closer, the moonlight through his window casting an odd glow on his form._

"_It was just... It was just another dream…" he murmurs, trying to dispel the trembling he can feel in his whole body._

_He sits and waits for morning to come, not willing to risk going back to his dreams where that thing was waiting._

Whenever he had those dreams… He wouldn't go back to sleep for the rest of the night…

_Day. School. _

_Danny leans with his forehead pressed against the cool surface of his locker, feeling the exhaustion in every cell of his body. He knows it can't be healthy to get as little sleep as he has been, but…_

"_Danny? Yo, Danny!"_

_The voice cuts through the stupor building in his brain and Danny glances to the side. Tucker and Sam stand in the empty school hallway, both looking at Danny with concern._

"_Hey, Danny, are you ok?" tucker asks again. Sam says nothing but just stares at Danny with worry all too obvious in her eyes._

"_Uuuhh…" Danny pulls away from the lockers and gazes at his friends for a moment._

He… he could have told them…

_Danny's face breaks into a grin _

"_Yeah, I'm fine!" he says reassuringly to his friends._

…But he didn't.

_Danny, Sam and Tucker all laugh and joke as they eat their lunches, Tucker somehow managing to play with his PDA while eating, before stopping to gesture casually as he tells some soon-to-be-forgotten story to his friends. _

_Sam raises her hand in emphasis as she responds and Danny playing the middle ground as usual, leaning casually against the table._

They weren't aware that the person who had come back from the future the day before the C.A.T's hadn't been 'Danny'.

Clock- … 'that guy' had made it so that the events that took place afterwards never happened. They didn't know he hadn't just beaten his older self while in the future and followed them home."

_Danny chuckles at another small argument his two best friends where having. He's driven the thoughts of the nightmare he'd been having for months now from his mind and simply enjoying the company of his two closest companions._

'It' had never happened. Why should they need to know?

_Night again. _

_Danny squirms in his sleep, clutching at his pillow and shuddering under his blankets. He curls up a little and whimpers at the images running through his unconscious mind. He clenches his teeth even tighter and continues to tremble._

Always the same, even if the exact events were different…

_Small fires crackle over the rubble, the wind howling as it blows through gutted buildings and over abandoned vehicles. The concrete and asphalt of the streets have been ripped and completely torn up in places. Random metal is jutting up, twisted and melted, a street sign with a chunk ripped out, pipes lying scattered on the ground._

_Desolation._

_A sheet of metal from the OP's center lays near the Fenton works neon sign, now discarded on the street. The top of a mailbox is scattered between them and so is the still arm of a female form, a bloody slash running across her torso, an ecto-pistol laying where it had fallen from her hand as she was attacked._

Always, he stood as the city crumbled and he saw the death of everyone he loved…

_Sam sits huddled against what was once probably a wall to some building, now almost completely erased from existence so only this small piece remains. Her right hand clutches at her left arm, an ugly wound bleeding just below her shoulder. She stares up, petrified, at the shadow that has brought this apocalypse to Amity Park._

"_Danny…" she whispers, her eyes growing wide with terror._

At his own hands…

_The Beast that has caused all this destruction crouches animal-like, one hand on the ground, the other supported on its knee. The flaming white hair on it's head moves silently with the non-existent wind, the glowing red eyes staring as it grins horribly, the face that was once Danny's twisting into something inhuman and evil. There is blood splashed on its face and chest and hands. It's hands are drenched in crimson, even though it could have finished anything it met quickly and cleanly with a single ecto-blast._

He saw it all through 'It's' crimson eyes…

_It paused for a moment, seemingly savoring the moment before raising a clawed hand with obvious slowness, holding it up in the air ominously._

He felt every emotion 'It' felt…"

_The terrible expression on the monster's face grew more pronounced. It is eager to kill, to destroy again…_

_Sam put her good arm over her head and drew against the wall even more._

"_Danny!" she gasped, "why are you doing this!?"_

_The Phantasm standing before her paused, clawed hand raised. A casual, surprised look came over the beasts face. _

"'_Why'?" the monsters deep voice was almost identical to that of the other self, the one seeing all this in his mind in his padded cell. But there's an extra echo to it, making it hollow. "Ah, Sam, that's easy."_

_The monster's near innocent expression morphs, and the expression now on his face bears only a slight resemblance to the smile it is actually meant to be. He draws back his lips to show the fangs in his mouth. There is blood on them._

"_It's because I can!!"_

_He draws back his raised hand, and ectoplasm flickers around it, casting a sickly green glow on his face._

Those dreams always ended the same too.

_The nightmarish creature is laughing as he brings down his hand and the lethal plasma around it on the girls head._

"_NOOOOOO!"_

_Danny yelped as his head meets the ground. He lies on his back, stunned for a few seconds. It takes him another moment to realize the throbbing on his head is from him falling out of bed in his unconscious panic._

_Danny pulls himself up into a sitting position, looking at his feet. He is in his own room, not the burning, crumbling city of his dreams; those are his NASA posters on the walls, his basketball on the floor near the mirror-_

_His eyes go wide and he whips his head around to look at the mirror. His own reflection stares back, fearful and with bags under his eyes from constantly disturbed sleep. _

"_Oh…" he breathes a cautious sigh of relief._

_For just a few seconds, he thought he'd seen that older, twisted version of himself grinning sadistically in the glass._

It was then he'd decided…

_Danny leans over the bathroom sink, his hand pressed against the bathroom mirror, shadows reflected oddly in the artificial light._

_He stares down at the faucet for a moment, refusing to glance at the glass he can feel under his hand. His thoughts aren't churning the way before they were before, because he's made up his mind. His hand tenses and clenches slightly._

He just wasn't going to sleep anymore…

_The first night that he will not even attempt to sleep, he waits it out, sitting on his bed trying desperately to keep his eyes open. He feels almost numb by the time the sun begins to shine through the window as dawn approaches,_

After all, if he didn't sleep, he couldn't have the nightmares anymore!"

He'd just have to wait it out until he thought they were gone for good.

_School. Danny blinks blearily, realizing the blurry shape in front of him is Mr. Lancer. The man frowns, and holds out the essay with Danny's name on it._

Even if there were a few negative side effects.

_Danny smiles sheepishly upon seeing the red 'F' on it and looks at the floor, the kid next to him, his own shoes, the ceiling, anything except his dismal grade or Mr. Lancer scowling._

And… things began to feel… dreamlike… as if he was disconnected form reality for short periods.

_Danny cradles his head in his hands, staring at nothing. This feeling of numbness that threatened to overflow him… what was it? Was it because he hadn't slept in weeks? How long would normal humans be able to go?_

_Danny wishes he knows._

But he was too afraid to try to go back to sleep again.

_Danny Phantom leans backwards quickly, ducking lower then he'd known he was able to as the slimy ectoplasmic tentacle whips through the air where his head had been only few seconds before. He straightens up to glare at the ghost floating in front of him. It's a dripping monster that seems little more then a pile of glowing ectoplasm with tentacles, glowing red eyes and a toothless mouth. Behind it, Amity Park is cast darkly against the sky, the crescent moon providing minimum light. _

But for some reason… there hadn't been any bad impact on his ghost hunting. In fact…

_Danny pulls back his fist as he begins to fly towards the monster, ectoplasm charging around it to add more force to the punch._

_His fist collides with the ghost's slimy face and the creature is sent reeling back, unconscious and easy to capture in the Fenton thermos. Danny blinks, a little surprised. He hadn't put THAT much power behind the punch!_

It almost seemed like he was becoming stronger!

_Six months since Danny ceased to sleep. He glares angrily at his opponent; refusing to give in. he won't let it beat him! He's faced much worse then this!!_

_But the fact that his parent grounded him due to the terrible, horrible things it said isn't really helpful._

_His report card sits on the floor and the F's stare evenly up, not wavering a bit._

_Danny really, really, hates that piece of paper._

"_I'm not surprised Mom and Dad grounded you for three weeks. Honestly Danny, what's going on?"_

_Danny looks over his shoulder to see who spoke and notices Jazz, hands on her hips, standing in his doorway. _

_Danny's scowl grows more pronounced again and he turns away in a huff._

"_Go away Jazz!" he practically growls._

_Behind him, Jazz's anxious look becomes a frown as she stares at her baby brother's back. Danny can feel her gaze prickling on the back of his neck and he draws up his shoulders stubbornly. _

_Jazz sighs after a moment and turns to leave, stopping to glance back at Danny for a moment._

"_Danny… Look, you gotta remember you can talk to me about anything. I know something's up… and I'm gonna find out what it is. You can't handle everything by yourself all the time… even superheroes can need saving."_

_Danny waits until he hears her leave and close the door to her own room before glancing back at where she'd stood. A pang of guilt had gone through him at her parting words. And he can't help but feel slightly remorseful at his angry actions._

_He shakes his head and turns on the TV perched where the mirror used to be. He got rid of that thing two months ago, when he became unable to stand seeing his own reflection. He sits and watches without paying attention, not noticing that it's already becoming sunset in the time he's been there._

_The strange dream-state that's been occurring more and more often slips over him and Danny is too dazed to notice his eyes slipping shut. _

"_Ah!" Danny's eyes snap open, realization coming over him that he'd been falling asleep. He blinks and looked around, realizing he is no longer in his room, but instead, seems to be standing or maybe floating, in a dimly lit empty space. The light had a dull rust orange color to it._

_Danny looks about, confused. If he is dreaming, it isn't much like the nightmares he'd come to know over the last year and a half. A strange feeling on the palms of his hands makes him pause and he holds his hands up, staring at them with growing shock._

"_What… what the hell… what is this?" Danny says, staring at the far too familiar symbol outlined in glowing green ectoplasm on his palms; a gear with the overlapping initials 'C' and 'W' within it. _

"_Isn't this… Clockwork's symbol?" Danny mutters to himself, shaking his hands a little as if to see if the glowing mark would fall of his skin "what's going on?"_

_Something grabs the back of Danny's shirt. _

_Suddenly, Danny feels hands grasping all around him, their appearances similar to human limbs at first glance but looking for more then a moment shows otherwise; they're twisted, and rubbery in shape, the skin death-dry and an ashy grey in color, each one reaching towards the ghost-boy. _

_Then the bodies and heads of the ghoulish limbs come into view. _

_Vaguely human in appearance, they have the same, papery, corpse like appearance as their arms, shoulder-less and possessing heads which were little more then lumps upon their bodies, with flat faces and blank, silver and black eyes. The… creatures… reach forward, each straining to get a hold of Danny, all of them howling in rasping, accusatory voices:_

"_LOOK WHAT YOU DID!!"_

_Danny feels himself go momentarily mute as no less then fifteen of the hands manage to get a hold on his shoulders, arm and legs and begin to pull downwards, attempting to drag Danny down._

_Their murmuring voices muttered randomly around him, before one with a grip on his shirt says louder then the others,_

"_It's all your fault!!"_

_The others immediately pick up the chant as even more of the monsters surge forward to catch hold of their prey._

_Danny manages to find his voice and yells as he yanks away with his arms and tries his best to push himself upward. _

"_No! Stop it!!"_

_The weight of the combined ghouls is winning and Danny feels himself pulled backwards, the ghouls who had yet to grab hold managing to secure grips upon him and continue to tow him down._

"_All your fault, all your fault, all your fault…"_

"_Stop!! Leave me alone," Danny gasps, struggling. He feels like he's drowning, the ghouls, his ears filled with their condemning words._

"_Allyoufaultallyourfaultallyourfaultallyourfault-"_

_With a last desperate ounce of strength, Danny manages to free one arm and stretches it out towards the non-existent sky, Clockwork's symbol still glowing upon his hand. As he feels the monster's fingers beginning to brush his neck and the side of his face, Danny screams with his all his might to whoever might be there to hear,_

"_I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING!!!"_

_BBBBLLLLLLAAAAAAAAAAAAMMMM!!!!_

_The howling siren-like noise makes the ghouls and the glowing mark on Danny's hands and the weird, dim emptiness to vanish in an instant as Danny snaps awake. _

"_Huh?..." he stutters, looking around before noticing Jazz crouched next to him, Fenton Air-horn in hand. Danny blinks in confusion at the pale blue light coming through his window. He's been asleep for a few hours if the darkness outside was any clue._

"_Danny, you need to talk about what's going on." Jazz's voice brings his focus back to his sister's anxious face. She's staring at him in a way that makes him cringe, and Danny has the distinct feeling he was gonna have to talk to some extent._

"_No more keeping things to yourself!" Jazz voice is hushed as she walks out of the room to head down to the kitchen. Danny follows her mutely._

hr 

"_Nightmares?" Jazz looks at the black haired teen slumped at the kitchen table next to her "that's what's been bothering you?"_

_Danny's eyes are riveted on the tabletop. "Yeah." He mutters, "That's it"_

_He decides not to mention what the dreams were about._

_Jazz lifts the coffee mug in her hand and swirls the coffee a little, a small frown on her face as she thinks. "Makes sense…" she says to herself "The exhaustion, the grouchiness, the slipping grades… Let's see… Nightmares… Um…"_

_She gives a frustrated sigh. "Well, to be honest, there's not a whole lot available about treating nightmares. I mean, if you already know the dream isn't real…"_

_Danny says nothing._

"_So…" Jazz continues, looking thoughtfully up at the ceiling "maybe try reading something that'll occupy your thoughts before you go to bed. Try not to watch that many violent TV shows or video games… or… if it gets worse…"_

_She looks off to the side, knowing Danny's reaction to her next words will be… less then thrilled._

"_The best thing to do would be to see a therapist."_

_Danny's previously blank expression morphs into a scowl. He is still smarting from his experiences with Spectra, even after almost a year and a half._

_Jazz groans as Danny glares. "Ok, ok, I know that look… but if it gets worse, we gotta consider it! Anyway, I'm not an expert on this particular subject-"_

"_For once" Danny interrupts, voice oozing sarcasm_

"_Yeah, yeah. Like I was saying, my knowledge of how you'd treat a 15 and a half year old boy for nightmares is… limited… but…"_

_Jazz's face is all concern now_

"_I need you to promise that if ANYTHING gets worse, you'll come to me and we'll get some real professional help for you. If this gets too serious, it could have some really bad effects on you. You got it, Danny?" _

_Jazz leans forward a little, making sure her brother is looking her in the eyes _

"_Promise me you won't just try to fix yourself!! Promise?"_

_Danny stares evenly at her for a few moments, face totally neutral, before answering her, "Yeah, Jazz. I promise…"_

_For that one moment when he spoke, Danny suddenly looks much older, but not as if he was a young adult; he suddenly seems to possess the eyes of a weary old man, instead of the teenager he is._

_Jazz smiles in relief, and hugs Danny. _

"_Thank you, little brother…" she says quietly._

_Danny just holds still, staring over his sister's shoulder at the kitchen wall. There's a squirming, unpleasant feeling in his stomach._

If there was one extra talent he'd learned from ghost hunting…

_Danny closes his eyes as the sensation in his stomach fades. The feeling had been guilt._

…It was how to be a convincing liar…

"_GROOOOWWWWAAAAARRRR" _

_The roar echoes about the alley, as the light from the capture beam casts an eerie luminescence on the dumpster and a few trashcans._

_The ghost howls as the Fenton thermos sucks it in. its groan trails off as it's fully confined within the metal cylinder. Danny grins as he caps the thermos, "Buh-bye, Gruesome!" _

_He smiles smugly as he begins to walk down the alley, tossing the Fenton Thermos gently up and down in his left hand as he walks, "Man, ghosts recently… it's like beating them just keeps getting easier and easier-"_

_The foot Danny has just set down tingles, and a single glowing green spark of energy buzzes off it. _

_Something seems to break within him and suddenly Danny's sight is tinted acidic glowing green. Ectoplasmic energy seems to explode from within him and surrounds him in a pillar of glowing light, flickering like flame. Electricity crackles about him and a pressure seems to grow in his chest and stomach. _

_It doesn't hurt though. It's as if he's been super charged, a massive rush of energy filling him. The only similar thing he can think of was when he was first granted (cursed?) with his ghost powers, but with none of the pain from the electrical shock._

_Danny gasps, as the surge seemed to grow, hugging his arms to his chest. Something new is happening now. The edges of his body seems to waver, the ecto-plasm that forms his ghost-self seeming to shift and break away and reform to his body, causing his very shape to begin to alter. Danny stumbles forward before falling to his knees as the power rush continues to increase._

_As suddenly as it had come, it stops. The energy suddenly ceases billowing around him and seems to be sucked back into his body, his shape re-solidifying itself. _

_Danny blinks and sits up. The feeling of pressure is still present, but lessened considerably, so it's barely noticeable._

_But it's defiantly still there. _

_A pang of fear goes through the ghost-boy's mind. He sits for a few moments, mind blank. He feels something cold against his knee and glances down. The Fenton thermos has rolled next to him (he had dropped when… 'It'… had happened… whatever 'it' had been)_

_That was right. He needs to return the ghosts he'd caught that night to the Ghost Zone._

He didn't know what was going on…

_Danny picks up the Fenton thermos and floats into the air, his legs fading into a ghostly tail. He turns away from the alley where nothing had happened, nothing of importance, nothing he needs to worry about…_

So he just pretended it hadn't happened.

_Danny pauses midair. The pressure in his chest is still there, nagging at him. He glances back slightly._

But he just couldn't shake the feeling… that something was going to happen…

…Soon.

hr 

Danny's eyes widened as the images flashing before his brain lost their lucidity and becoming random snippets of memory, each gone as soon as the next.

_Valerie turned to smile at him with amusement, picking a tulip from a bin next to some sunflowers…_

Go away.

_A glowing orb of green and white cast an eerie light on the old-as-time ghost, his cloak billowing behind him as he turned away…_

Go away.

_Glowing green ectoplasmic energy surrounding a too-familiar arm, the molecules separating and rejoining around ebony black bones…_

Go away.

_A ring glowing between his fingers as he lifted from the spot where it had fallen, unnoticed by all but him…_

Go away.

_A red haired girl crying, desperate, anguished, angry…_

Go away.

_Two Observants standing shoulder to shoulder, staring at him condemningly, accusing him, always accusing him…_

Go away.

_Sam reaching for him, hand outstretched, trying to save him, save him from what?..._

Go away.

_The light seems blood-red, a glare reflecting off the blade-like claw on the ghost's glove, a twisted grin on it's masked face, assuring him he deserved this, he had this coming…_

Go away.

_A feeling like nausea in his chest, and a chill spreading from the point right next to his heart, creeping through his vein and a blankness filling him as his vision turned to black-and-white lines, the green iris in his eyes swallowed by black…_

Go away, go away, GO AWAY!!!

"Ah…" Danny murmured as the images finally faded altogether, returning him to his reality, his nice, padded, ghost-proof cell…

He leaned against the side wall and was silent for a moment. The feelings of shame and terror that always accompanied his memories began to creep at the back of his mind. Really, it was kinda funny… how depressing his past was…

"Heh" Danny chuckled under his breath. Pathetic really… hilariously pathetic…

"Heh. Heheh. Hah! HahahahHahaHahahahaHahaHeh. Hehheh. Oh man! Heh." Danny's quiet snickering turned itself into a full-fledged laugh, making him almost fall over, his sides hurting. He quieted after a moment, his fear subsiding.

Some part of his broken mind noticed that he only laughed when things began to really upset him… sometimes he would collapse into hysteria from his own distress and sometimes he would laugh and laugh until it was gone…

'_But I just couldn't shake the feeling… that something was going to happen…_

…_Soon.'_

Danny grinned sadly.

"I hate being right about stuff like that…"

_My most despised hallucinations…are those replaying fragments of my memories…_

Danny looked off at nothing without turning his head. His eyes were unfocused, had been unfocused almost since the moment the GIW and Kwan had left.

He'd just recalled something.

A final image was appearing on the other side of the room;

_His younger sixteen-year-old self, returned home, safe and apparently in one piece after he'd first felt his power explode around him as his very physical form briefly changed. He lies in his bed on his side, his hand held up to his face. He stares at it, examining it for anything odd._

It was almost right after that first weird surge of power when he was sixteen… That he became entirely unable to sleep.

_The young boy stares for what might have been hours, maybe minutes, maybe seconds. Then he places his hand down on the bed and stares at something only he could see, eyes confused and stricken. _

Unable to sleep even when he wanted to…

Danny closed his eyes and felt the tangible exhaustion in his body, an exhaustion that had become a hum in the back of his mind.

And he also felt that old nausea and pressure in his chest, a constant remainder of something he really shouldn't have done.

hr 

**and there's chapter three! Next chapter things actually start to pick up! the next chapter should be up in around three weeks (sorry for the long estimate). Yeh, and don't forget to Read and Review if you liked it! Thank youz **


	4. Sad Exchange

**Erm, ok, I know I said I'd post this in three weeks time, but some school stuff came up and it took longer to finish the comic then normal and… yeh…**

**But here's the newest chapter! I've got a decent idea of how long it takes me to write each chapter now, so updates should be more organized. Or something. **

**Yeh. Enjoy the chapter! Oh, and if you want to see the comic version of this chapter, copy and paste this and erase the spaces: http:// www. deviantart. com/ deviation/ 48887052/ **

hr 

**Chapter 4**

'**Sad Exchange'**

'**_Quietly thinking to myself _**

_**Sharing half our mind instead of none **_

_**The shakings just begun **_

_**The pleasantries are gone, **_

_**This sad exchange pleased neither one of us…'**_

**- 'Sad Exchange, By Finger Eleven**

'_In, 24 hours, they'll be, laying flowers on my liiifffeee.'_

Her cell phone was ringing.

'_It's over, toniiigghhhttt.'_

Oh yeah. She'd gotten the song '24' by Jem as her ringtone.

The phone continued to play the song while Valerie mumbled and felt around on her bedside table for the device. She managed to grab it after a few attempts and flipped a pressure-button on the side to answer.

"Uh… Yeh? 'Ello?..." Valerie mumbled groggily without lifting her head from the pillow. Not that it would matter, the only light in the room came in from sliding door window onto the small balcony of Valerie's apartment. The person on the other line of the phone spoke and Valerie bolted upright in bed.

"WHAT!?" Valerie practically shrieked, very much awake now, "W-wait a sec-, B-but now? It's like… uh…" Valerie blinked, realizing she didn't actually know if it was actually as late it felt.

Then the glow of her bedside alarm clock caught her eye and she realized it wasn't as late as it felt.

It was even later.

The digits spelling out '4:15 AM' glowed orange in the dark. Valerie's eye twitched a little as she stared at it. "You have GOT to be kidding me…"

The phone vibrated in her hand a little, reminding her that the line was still connected.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, I'm still here sir" she said swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

She listened for a moment before getting up completely.

"Oh. Ok. I'll meet you there in half an hour." She pressed the pressure button again and swept her gaze over the main room of her four room apartment. A plasma flat screen hung on the wall opposite her bed, a few shelves hung on the walls, there was a computer terminal on the wall near the door and clothing and (of course) ghost hunting equipment spread haphazardly about on the floor. Also on the walls were a few framed news articles and certificates and it was on one of these that her gaze fell.

It was a newspaper and the headline said in bold letters 'PHANTOM FINALLY CAUGHT'. The picture underneath showed only a glimpse of the ghost, who was too surrounded by GIW to be properly seen.

It had been the last headline Phantom had made in the last eleven years.

hr 

"Hmmm…." Kwan stared dully at the data on the laptop screen for a moment before yawning loudly. It was absolutely ridiculous, being called out at 4 in the freakin' morning to a back entrance to the GIW facility that was normally only in use by employees when delivering new captive ghosts for study. Even if Valerie had called ahead _specifically _to ask this be the case and even if she was the main representative for the Ghost-Hunter division of VladCo.

It was still ridiculous.

Kwan blinked up at the two agents from earlier, who were standing stock still against the opposite wall.

"It's, uh, kinda late, isn't it?" Kwan muttered to them, hoping for some sort of response. The Agents were always so much more unnerving then the Operatives, even if they were more professional acting.

"And yet I found you in a Computer lab, wide awake…" Kwan glanced up to his right, where Supervisor Marshall stood with his arms crossed. "So. Just what _were_ you working on?" although Marshall's tone was neutral, Kwan swallowed guiltily, feeling like he was under a mild interrogation. He was sure the older man was staring at him, although his dark sunglasses made it hard to tell. Kwan looked away.

"Uh, well…" Kwan began muttering awkwardly. At that moment, the voice of one of the two Agents interrupted.

"They've arrived, sir. We're opening the door."

Kwan fell silent and all those in the hallway turned to look at the giant gate-like door stretching from floor to ceiling at the end of the hall. The complex security locks and bolts spun with a 'whirring noise' and the sides of the door began to rumble apart. They were only partly open when Valerie became visible standing behind them.

"Ms. Gray," Supervisor Marshall began, an irritated edge having snuck into his voice "now that you're here, may I ask for the reason… as to why you requested the use of the Operative's secure entrance rather then the Front Door?"

"Well, just so you know, it wasn't just for me…" Valerie said gesturing to her right as the doors opened completely, revealing the second person awaiting entry to the Facility.

"You know how it is, Supervisor Marshall…" the man was in his mid-fifties, dressed in a black Armani suit and matching fedora, with grey-white hair pulled back in a ponytail and a goatee.

Vladimir Masters grinned a little at the apparent surprise of the GIW agents and scientist.

"A man like me does have enemies after all."

The last fourteen years had taken their toll on Vlad. There were age lines on his face, and he leaned heavily on the wooden cane in his right hand. He walked forward into the building with a noticeable limp, favoring his left leg.

"I'd like to thank you for allowing use of your, ah, 'side door'." Vlad said smoothly as he walked up to Marshall.

"You are welcome, Mr. Masters." Marshall said as the two shook hands "I have been told you wish to speak with one of our scientists about something?"

Vlad smiled slyly. "Well, thanks so Ms. Gray here," he said, gesturing to his right, where Valerie stood, arms crossed and scowling slightly "It has come to my attention that there is indeed something I would like to understand, so…" Vlad's expression turned serious "I have something very specific I would very much discuss privately with you, Mr. Marshall, seeing as you are the Supervisor of this _fine _Facility…"

His tone had turned flattering with his last few words. Supervisor Marshall didn't even blink at Vlad's obvious bootlicking (although if he had, again no one would have seen due to his dark sunglasses)

"Of course, Mr. Masters. Please, follow me." Marshall said calmly, leading Vlad down the hallway. Kwan and Valerie watched them go.

Valerie's scowl deepened considerably the moment they were out of sight. She put her hands on her hips and glared down the hall. "So what, we're just supposed to wait here?"

Kwan grimaced "guess so…"

The two stood in silence for a moment. Valerie blinked suddenly and looked off to her left suddenly, noticing the two GIW Agents who had also been left standing in the entrance hall. They were standing at attention, arms folded behind their backs, with practically emotionless looks on their faces. It struck Valerie suddenly what it was about them that had been bothering her. She poked Kwan's shoulder.

"Hey, Kwan."

"What?" he turned to look at her curiously

Valerie pointed at the GIW Agents. "What's up with them anyway?"

Kwan frowned, confused "hm? What do you mean?"

Valerie paused, apparently unsure of how to ask her question. "Why do they act so… so…"

"So… professional? Disciplined?" Kwan said, catching on quickly.

"All of the above." Valerie agreed.

Kwan sighed and nodded understandingly. "That's right, all the Guys who ever went to Amity were either Operatives or Troopers…"

An idea formed in Kwan's mind. Valerie didn't really know anything about the GIW. So maybe if he filled her in, she'd be appreciative. Appreciative enough to say yes if he asked her out to lunch (or maybe breakfast, considering it was barely 5 AM by now).

Ok, so it was a lame plan. But it was all he had at the moment.

Kwan turned to Valerie with a big smile, and launched into a explanation of the GIW's inner workings

"See, there's a ranking system in the GIW (duh). And at the top is Central Command, located in D.C. They're mostly just there to look impressive, and important. Right under them in the hierarchy are the Supervisors, like Supervisor Marshall. The Supervisors pretty much run the GIW. They're as high ranking as you get short of being in Central Command but no one actually wants to be one because you get tons of paperwork and it's mostly a desk job (no excitement or anything). I'm not sure if their names are codenames or not.

Below the Supervisors are the Operatives, who have letter based codenames, like Operative K and Operative L. There are always twenty-six of them at a time, probably because that's how many letters there are in the alphabet. They're real arrogant, don't pay any attention to the rules or protocol and pretty much just do as they please. They also do the majority of fieldwork (unfortunately). Most of the GIW that came to Amity Park were these guys.

Then there's the Agents, who have codenames with both letters AND numbers depending on their rank within the Agents, starting with A1, the B1 and so on up through number 30 or so. They're pretty professional acting because it raises their chances of being promoted. And they're just better trained then the Operatives really (kind of sad seeing as they rank lower). They don't do much fieldwork other then cleaning up the Operatives messes. Almost all the Guys at this Facility are Agents.

And practically at the bottom of the food chain are the Troopers (those guys who look like the clone soldiers from 'Star Wars'). Basically, they're foot soldiers, used for large-scale assaults and things of that nature. But they also do the most menial tasks when not in battle. They do a lot of guard duty and to be honest, you don't want to spend too long at this level, because this rank has the highest mortality rates.

Mostly because the troopers kinda just tossed into random combat an awful lot."

At this point, Valerie was looking a bit as if she wished she'd never asked. Her left eye was twitching a little as Kwan finished his monologue.

"That's about it. Not including the scientists, engineers and janitors who exist outside the basic ranks. Like me! I'm an example of a GIW scientist!"

Stating the obvious was kind of a common trait in people from Amity Park. No one knew why.

There was a rather long pause after Kwan stopped talking as Valerie stared at him. After a moment, she slapped her hand against her face. "Well, I could have lived without knowing just how irresponsible government agencies could be. Thanks a lot."

Kwan shrugged apologetically. The GIW Agents continued to stand off to the side in silence, even though they had been eavesdropping the whole time. And honestly, if anyone had asked, they would have agreed with Valerie.

hr 

"So, if I understand what you just said, you are asking me for direct access to Phantom's cell? With no GIW coming with you?"

Marshall peered across his desk at Vlad. Vlad was relaxed in his own chair, cane balanced against one of the arms. "Yes, you heard me correctly." Vlad said calmly. Marshall was silent for a moment before standing up and turning to look at a spot on the wall behind him.

"Well?" Vlad asked him. There wasn't a hint of doubt in his voice what the answer would be. After all, he always got what he wanted.

"Your request is denied."

To say the Vlad's expression was shocked would be to say Mt. Everest was a big hill.

"WHAT!? Why?!" he practically screamed, leaning forward in his chair and gripping the armrests with each hand.

"Mr. Masters, do you really believe I would allow a civilian, even- no, _especially_, a civilian of your status to enter the cell of one of our most powerful captured ghosts?" Marshall asked calmly, still standing with his back to an increasingly frustrated Vlad.

"B-but Ms. Gray was-" Vlad began to sputter in protest before Marshall interrupted him.

"Ms. Gray is a licensed Hunter, not a civilian. Ms. Gray was armed and more then capable of defending herself if the need arose. With no intended disrespect, you are almost 57 years old."

Vlad's anger was increasing with each word Marshall spoke. And for a ghost hybrid, that anger was dangerous. The armrest of the chair Vlad sat in were quietly cracking and crumbling in Vlad's grip as his paranormal strength began to seep into his human form. Marshall was ignorant to this and simply continued to tell Vlad why there wasn't a snowball's chance in Hell of him getting to meet Phantom.

"If you were to be injured, it would both create issues with the committee in charge of regulations involving our handling of dangerous captured ghost specimens and also drastically jeopardize our public image.

My apologies, Mr. Masters, but your trip here was pointless if this was your only reason for coming."

It was good for Vlad that Marshall wasn't facing him.

Because if he were, it would be awfully hard not to notice the glowing black and red eyes and fangs now present on Vlad's outraged face as his ghostly self began to show through in his anger.

A few moments passed in which neither one of the powerful men in the room spoke. Unnerved by Vlad's lack of response, Marshall started to look over his shoulder. "Hmm? Mr. Masters? Is that all or did you have other reasons for coming?"

The door slammed open and a Trooper all but ran into the room. "Sir, my scanner was detecting escalating levels of Ecto-energy! Is everything ok?!"

Vlad flinched visibly and ducked his head so the brim of his hat hid his eyes while he attempted to rein in his powers. Marshall turned around completely (he hadn't quite seen Vlad's glowing eyes before the trooper had burst in) and slammed his hand on his desk in anger.

"What do you think you're doing?! Do you see a ghost in here?" the GIW Supervisor yelled at the now rather flustered Trooper. "Even if there was a ghost, I think I would be able to handle it! And I'm in a meeting! Weren't you trained? Don't barge into my office like that again!!"

The Trooper backed up, helmeted head bowed in apology. "Y-yes Sir!" he stuttered, "I'm sorry, Supervisor Marshall!"

Marshall stood back and continued to glare through his sunglasses at the Trooper.

"Right. Now, Mr. Masters?..."

Vlad relaxed his grip on the armrests, tiny pieces crumbling off as he unclenched his fingers from where they had been digging into the plastic and wood. He slouched back into the chair with a look of defeat on his face. "I-I understand… You're right, it would have been irresponsible for me to… yes, I see…"

He picked up his cane and pulled himself slowly from the chair. "I'm quite sorry for the trouble…" he muttered.

"Not an issue, Mr. Masters." Marshall said reassuringly, placing a hand on Vlad's shoulder to help support him as he limped towards them door. The Trooper standing there at attention trembled a little as Marshall turned to face him. "And _you_. Report to me later. We need to discuss your discipline." Marshall growled.

"Right, Sir. I'll remember sir."

Vlad discreetly pressed a button hidden on his cane with a 'click'.

Marshall finished scolding the Undisciplined Trooper and began marching down the hall, Vlad following. The Undisciplined Trooper bowed his head slightly as they passed and continued watching them as they walked away, crimson eyes glinting behind the yellowy glass of his goggles.

Vlad waited patiently while Marshall pressed the 'Down' button for the elevator. All the offices were located on the third floor of the Facility, above the research labs and ghost containment cells.

The two men stood in silence for a few moments as they waited for the elevator to arrive before Marshall spoke suddenly

"There is something I should bring up."

Vlad blinked and turned to look at the GIW Supervisor, who was now giving the billionaire a look that was just short of a glare. Marshall continued what he'd begun to say upon seeing that he had Vlad's attention.

"I do hope you realize…" he said crisply "that if for some reason, a major contributor cut our funding for… 'selfish causes'… well…" Marshall's voice took a faintly threatening edge, "…The GIW _is _a government agency, after all… and if you, 'Mayor Vladimir', make things difficult for us… then we might make life **_very _**difficult for you as well."

The elevator chose that very appropriate time to let out the 'Ding' that lift had arrived, the doors sliding open.

"Do you understand what I've been saying?" Marshall said as the two men boarded the elevator, his veiled threat hanging in the air.

"Of course." Vlad said, taking off and examining his hat with exaggerated calmness, "you really shouldn't worry." He set the fedora back on his head with a mildly sardonic grin. "After all, I would _never_ do such a thing simply as an act of petty vengeance!"

you could practically see the irony in the air after he said that.

"… I am very glad to hear that…" Marshall said almost hesitantly after a few seconds.

The button on the underside of Vlad's cane glowed a pale blue, just dim enough so it wouldn't be noticed by anyone who wasn't looking for it.

hr 

Floating high above the Facility run by the GIW, Skulker watched as the readout on his forearm gauntlet began to beep in accordance to the signal being broadcasted from inside the building. Letters and numbers began scrolling across the screen, un-interpretable to anyone but the ghost currently reading them.

"…He wasn't allowed to get in." Skulker's deep synthesized voice was matter of fact. Little had changed about the ghost over the last 13 years, although there were some differances. He had traded his jet pack and wings for a hover pack and there was more artillery and armor attached to his ecto-skeleton then ever.

Also, his flaming hair was now in a ponytail instead of just plain and loose. It was an aesthetic thing.

A few Ghostly Vultures flew by, circling around Skulker, eyes narrowed at both his statement and the glare of the rising sun, which had just begun to creep above the horizon.

"I don't get it." One vulture said crossly, floating near to Skulker's ear "Vhy doesn't Master Plasmius jus' use a Jammer to block those Guys Ghost-Scanners like you do? An' then overshadow tha man?"

Skulker rolled his eyes and glared over his shoulder at the Vultures. "Because A)," Skulker said flatly, "The Jammers only work at longer distances, B) All GIW have deflectors to prevent them being overshadowed and C) That Supervisor **_might_** notice when his subordinates tell him that he let Plasmius into the cell and has no memory of it!"

The Vultures somehow managed to scowl at Skulker's rudeness, an amazing feat for beings with beaks. "Vell, you don't need to get snappy about it!" one protested.

"It vas jus' some harmless curiosity!" the second one agreed.

"Oh, just go to your positions! You know what to do!!" Skulker yelled, pointing randomly towards the air surrounding the Facility. The Vultures gave a few 'hmphs' at the indignity of being bossed by such a rude youngster and flew off.

Skulker just shook his head and watched them go.

"A-hem!"

Skulker blinked and turned to face the other ghost who had been hovering with them while they waited for Vlad's signal. A slightly vicious grin spread across Skulker's face as he remembered the rest of The Plan. "Ah, yes. I almost forgot…"

The Dragon Prince Aragon grimaced, hand gripping the amulet hanging around his neck. He had gone through a lot of trouble stealing it back from his upstart sister. She had guarded it carefully, but Plasmius's services had returned his precious amulet to him, along with some very _interesting _information…

"This is where 'it' is being kept? _This_ place?" Aragon practically spat with obvious disdain.

Skulker shrugged casually. "Yes, in a manner of speaking. However…" he smirked again "…To be perfectly accurate, it would be best to say the 'person' who has 'it' is kept here. Well?" the robot-esc ghost gave an overdramatic bow, sweeping his hands in an 'after you' type motion "What are you waiting for? You gonna go get 'it' or what?"

Aragon's hand shot up and grabbed Skulker by the neck. He yanked the larger ghost closer so they were face to face (or rather, nose to crown due to the height difference).

"Remember this!" Aragon snarled, "If Plasmius has lied and I have left my domain for no reason, I will have BOTH your heads!"

Skulker was not impressed.

"Yes, well, I'll be sure to let him know you said so." He said dryly

Seriously, decapitation? Was that all Aragon could come up with? How unoriginal. Not to mention the fact that his battle-suit's head had been severed plenty of times and his true form didn't really _have _a proper head, so it was rather ineffective in general.

Aragon apparently missed Skulker's sarcasm. The amulet around his neck began glowing a sickly green and the Ghost-Dragon Prince began to transform. His face stretched into a snout and spikes and horns began sprouting from his head and the sides of his face. Scales rippled into form across his body, claws grew on his hands and feet, and his ragged cloak turned into a pair of powerful leathery wings. It took only a few more changes before he had fully transformed.

Easily thirty feet long, covered in purple scales so dark they were almost black and giving Skulker a rather toothy smile, the Ghost-Dragon Prince assumed his battle form.

"See that you do tell Plasmius…" Aragon's voice rumbled in answer to Skulker's earlier statement, as he turned to face the Facility.

Human-built defenses were so pathetic.

hr 

**hahahaha, evil cliffhanger!! Sorry, it had to be done! Next chapter, we see Danny again (it just occured to me he didn't appear at all in the chapter) and some other big stuff happens… anyways, please Read and Review if you liked it! Thanks!**


	5. Prey

**Wow, this chapter is kinda late, isn't it? Let's see what excuses I have… schoolwork… family junk… I'm lazy… yeh, I got nothing. Sorry! Anyways, this has some battle-scenes which were a **_**pain in the butt**_** to write (I understand why people complain about them now) and this chapter also has some character death and mild cursing, just so you've been warned. Anyways, on with the show!**

**Oh, and a big thanks to Feriwiccan for being beta-ing for me!**

**Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman. Who is not me. Poor me TTTT**

**Chapter 5**

'**Prey'**

'_**I've become prey **_

_**Strolling down**_

_**In my face **_

_**These tears I'm not crying **_

_**This will not kill me!  **_

_**I've been waiting so long for this time **_

_**I'm terrified **_

_**Blind in ways I've never realized **_

_**I don't mind…'**_

**-'Prey', by 10 Years**

You know that you're running out of conversation topics when you begin discussing your employer's crippled leg.

"C'mon, you've got to admit that's kinda strange, to be so resistant to treatment," Kwan said to Valerie "I mean, if the surgery would fix Mr. Master's leg…"

"I know, I know," Valerie leaned back against the wall, a frown on her face. "I asked him about it, but he seems really against the idea of even going near a doctor's office…"

She turned her head to look off blankly for a moment. After about 14 years knowing the man, Valerie knew he could have his 'eccentric' moments, and that was only to be expected. But his blatant refusal to allow his old injury to be repaired just didn't make any sense.

"I know he didn't do a whole lot of outright ghost hunting himself," Valerie finally said, turning to look at Kwan again, "But it still just confuses me that he-"

Her words were interrupted by a loud booming noise. Valerie, Kwan and the two agents who had been standing nearby all stared down the hall for a moment without saying a word. Valerie was the one to finally break the awkward silence.

"…What was that?"

Her words broke the sudden stupor they had all fallen under. One of the agents pulled a communicator out and turned it on anxiously as a second 'BOOM' echoed down the hall.

"This is Agent 22B, at corridor #5, Operative Entranceway. We just heard a loud unidentified noise, has anyone reported the cause?"

The booming suddenly began to sound repeatedly, the noise traveling all over the GIW Facility, Scientists and agents intent in their research looked up distractedly. Elsewhere, Supervisor Marshal and Vlad both turned to look towards the direction the noise was coming from and in the corridor closest to the rumbling, a pair of Troopers looked about nervously, one holding the ecto-blaster he was carrying against his chest in his unease.

All of a sudden, the booming ceased completely. The two Troopers stood quietly for a moment before one turned to stare at the other.

"Hey…" he began to ask, "Did you just hear-"

The wall behind the two suddenly cracked into a spider-web of fissures. The Troopers jumped and spun around to stare at the damage.

One of them had just enough time to exclaim, "W-what the hell was that?!" before the wall practically exploded into a shower of dust and debris. The Trooper's covered their faces with their arms to protect against the fragments of plaster and metal (mostly out of habit, seeing as their goggles and helmets made such things unnecessary). After the dust settled, both looked up.

And probably wished they hadn't.

The light of the rising sun facing the hole in the wall turned the giant ebony-scaled dragon sitting there into little more then a massive dark silhouette. Glowing red eyes and smoke slowly drifted up from his nostrils while the light glinted off the spikes covering the beast's face.

The Troopers took a few steps back, although something seemed to keep them from turning and running as they both no doubt wished to do. Aragon ignored them as he crawled in through the gap in the plaster and metal of the building, barely managing to fit his body through it, although the hole was easily big enough for a small truck to drive through. One of the Troopers suddenly seemed to catch onto the oh-so important fact that a _dragon _had just broken into the Facility and brought the ecto-blaster he's been cradling up quick as he could. The sound of the safety being flicked off caught Aragon's attention and he cast a glance over towards them just as the Trooper fired.

"S-Stop! Stay where you are!" the armed Trooper yelled in an attempt to sound brave, while his partner just collapsed to his knees, his horror at having to face the giant ghost before them as good as paralyzing him.

The blasts hit Aragon dead on but his scales just seemed to brush off the energy-blasts as if they were no more then pebbles tossed his way. Aragon remained still for a moment, seeming to take it willingly, although his bared teeth suggested otherwise. Then, before the Trooper could blink, Aragon suddenly sprang up and leapt towards him, the tips of his wings brushing the ceiling in the enclosed space. He opened his mouth in a roar as he strode towards the GIW solider, who continued to fire futilely at Aragon. The dragon reached out with one giant clawed hand and swept it towards the Trooper, catching the man on his left side, effectively crushing his arm and knocking the ecto-blaster from his hands. But rather then simply brushing the Trooper aside, Aragon picked him up and calmly slammed him into the ground with a crunching noise.

The second Trooper, who hadn't moved from his kneeling position only a few feet from where the first Trooper had met his demise, saw all this.

"Ah-" He gasped quietly, his whimper turning into a full-out scream as Aragon spun to face him now and charged with his mouth open, teeth closing in on the remaining GIW solider…

DPDPDPDPDP

"'Stay here, Dr. Li…'" Kwan mocked quietly to himself, "'We'll go check it out, Dr. Li…'" He took a sip from the glass of water he was holding, glaring angrily at nothing in particular. Valerie and the two Agents had rushed off when the explosion had sounded, instructing Kwan to stay where he was, and he couldn't help feeling rather annoyed at being left behind.

"'You're completely useless fighting ghosts Dr. Li, even if you aced all those physical training tests!' Hmph!" Kwan shook his head and sighed a little. "Man, three extra years of school for this…" Perhaps it was true that if there was going to be a fight with a ghost, Kwan wasn't the most valuable person to have around, but still! It was the being bossed around by people who really no higher-ranking then him at the end of the day that bothered him.

The water in the glass Kwan was holding rippled. Kwan blinked and stared at it. He hadn't really shaken the glass at all; why had it-

Then he noticed the low thumping noise from around a bend in the hall that was beginning to increase in volume. As he watched, a shadow began to appear on the ground directly in front of the turn in the hall.

It was not human shaped.

Normally, someone who specialized in psychology, even if it was ecto-psychology, would know better then to let themselves be taken in by such things as denial. But unfortunately for Kwan, common sense was on lunch break and his brain instead attempted to rationalize the shadow in some way that did not involve a malevolent spirit that could rip him apart limb by limb.

"Eh, there can't be anything there. The guards probably got it already," Kwan muttered, taking an involuntary step back. The owner of the shadow began to become visible in the form of rather large clawed toes. "Val and the Agents already went to hunt the ghost," Kwan reassured himself "No way it'd get this far." It was a pretty pointless thing to say, given the rather obvious proof that a ghost was there. He closed his eyes tightly. Maybe it'd be like the T-rex in Jurassic park and couldn't see you if you didn't move.

Wait. The T-rex HAD been able to see people even if they didn't move. Bad comparison.

"I'm perfectly safe," Kwan said softly, "Not in danger at all…"

He opened his eyes.

"**Tell me, wretch…**" the Dragon in front of his growled, its voice rumbling from somewhere deep in it's throat. How deep, Kwan didn't really wish to know.

"**Tell me where 'Phantom' is…**"

DPDPDPDP

A chill shot down Danny's spine and he gasped, exhaling a smoky bluish mist. He lifted his head up and watched the freezing haze now continuously coming from his mouth as it slowly faded.

That was strange. He knew that there were other ghosts kept in this Facility but he'd never been able to sense them before now. So why was his ghost sense going off? He continued to shudder slightly from the cold that he knew was actually coming from inside his own body. His ghost sense was remaining present so that the fog now constantly fell from his lips.

Something had changed…

DPDPDPDP

Kwan stared at the device he was holding in his trembling hand. In many respects it looked like an old-fashioned car key, but what it unlocked was much more important then any car.

_Stupid._ Kwan though to himself, clutching the key tighter as he continued to walk down the hall, _How can I be so stupid? Why the hell am I going to do such a stupid thing?..._

What he was doing was… Hell, he could probably be tried for a breach of contract, perhaps even some weird form of treason. So why was he being so stupid?

"**We had better be getting close to where the Phantom is…**"

Oh yes. That was why. Because a very big, very angry, very _toothy_ ghost-dragon had cornered him and demanded that it be taken to the Phantom's cell.

"Uh, y-yeah it's c-close. It's j-just down this h-hall." Kwan gulped through chattering teeth. The Ghost Dragon crawling (there was no other word in the enclosed hall) behind him kept it's head hovering over Kwan's left shoulder, so it's teeth were constantly close enough for Kwan to see very, very well. It was an effective tactic.

"**It had better truly be close… because if you are lying…**" The Dragon broke into an utterly terrifying grin that said it almost hoped Kwan WAS lying "**Heh, heh…**"

Luckily, it was so distracted with taunting/threatening Kwan that it didn't notice him flick a switch on a device resembling a pager that was hooked onto his belt.

DPDPDPDP

Pieces of plaster and metal were still crumbling from the Hole in the Wall where Aragon had broken in when Valerie and the two agents found it.

"Oh, HELL!! You've GOT to be joking!"

…Along with the body of one of the Troopers who had been at the scene (the other was conspicuously missing).

"Unfortunately not, Ms. Gray…" Agent 22B crouched down to examine the remains while Agent 22A and Valerie stood slightly behind him, "It looks like the, uh, time of death was fairly recent…"

Valerie just grimaced and closed her eyes as she put a hand over her mouth. Her stomach was doing weird things at the sight of the dead Trooper and it was _just so gross_. She'd seen the damage a ghost could do to a human before, certainly, but it was usually from the corner of her eye in the midst of battle- between the distraction of combat and the fact that she wasn't part of a 'clean-up' crew, she'd never really had to _examine_ something like this.

And it was gross. Really, really gross.

Valerie was snapped out of her line of thought by Agent 22B standing up again and starting to speak.

"It is imperative we find the ghost which did this as soon as possible. If it continues to wander through the Facility…" He didn't need to say more.

The watch attached to Agent 22A's hand suddenly began to glow and beep. The GIW agent frowned and pressed a button on the side of the watch's face. A small holo-screen was suddenly project into the air above the watch face, displaying various information, from a map of the facility to what time it was in Switzerland.

"A distress signal has been activated. It's… ah." Agent 22A frowned at the glowing screen. "It's… from Dr. Li."

"WHAT!?" Valerie practically yelled, shoving the Agent's head aside so she could better see the screen (unfortunately, since the watch was on his own arm, all this meant was that Valerie shoved his head at such angle that the Agent now had a rather painful crick in his neck).

Agent 22B and Valerie crowded around Agent 22A's arm to peer at the holo-screen projection.

"It says Kwan's at… Corridor 77J. Where's that?" Valerie asked.

"…This is a problem," Agent 22B said after a moment.

Valerie scowled at him. "Well, DUH, it's a problem if-"

"No, you don't understand." Agent 22A interrupted her in order clarify his partner's meaning "This is a problem because Corridor 77J is where the Phantom's cell is located."

It took Valerie roughly 2 seconds to react.

"SHIT!! WHY DIDN'T YOU JUST SAY THAT?!" Valerie yelled as she turned and ran back down the hallway in the direction they'd come from, leaving the startled Agents behind.

As she ran, she formed an image on her head, of a familiar battle-suit. The ectoplasm-based nanobots in her system responded almost immediately to her mental command and began to form the battle-suit in question. Eerie pink electricity crackled along the edge of the liquid-metal flowing smoothly over her limbs, shaping red circuitry under black plating as she ran. Her helmet formed over her head as the final touch. As the suit completely covered her, her stride became even more purposeful as the targeting system in the faceplate activated itself.

"Whatever this ghost is planning…" she growled to herself, voice echoing and slightly metallic within the helmet, even to her own ears. "…He won't succeed while I'm here!"

That was a promise.

DPDPDPDPDPDP

The heavy metal door was covered in locks and complicated electronic bolts, a noticeable contrast to it's nearly bare interior. Above the reinforced window was a metal plate with '#82678' carved into it, while below it, painted in bold black letters was the warning 'NO UNATHORIZED ENTRY'. Wires ran from the heavy main bolts and various smaller locks to a keypad set into the wall besides the door.

It was meant to be secure as possible. Unless you knew how to open it without force.

"**This is the place?**" Aragon growled, bending slightly to look at Kwan. Kwan turned his face away in both fear and self-anger for his submitting to this ghost's demands. He hated that he was doing this but he didn't have much choice.

"Yes…" he muttered after a moment.

Aragon leaned down even more so his teeth practically brushed the back of Kwan's head.

"**Open it… or I'll rip your head from your shoulders.**"

Without a word, Kwan fitted the key he'd been holding into a slot near the bottom of the keypad with a 'click'. The keypad beeped for a few moments before the words '_SECURITY OVERIDE ACCEPTED_' appeared on the mini-screen at the top.

There was a hissing noise as the hydraulics within the door were released and pressurized steam billowed out from inside the door on both sides.

A mildly startled Danny Phantom blinked silently at the door, mist still billowing from his mouth occasionally as the door swung open with a creaking noise.

Then the door was open completely and light from the hall illuminated the front half of cell in sharp contrast to the near twilight that the room had been kept in constantly.

Unfortunately, it was much, much brighter then anything Danny had seen in the last eleven years. And he was staring directly at it.

"AARRGGGHHHH!" the white-haired man screamed and fell to his knees at the pain now shooting through his eyeballs. He kneeled with his head close to the ground, trying to shake off the agonizing feel. It was reminiscent of the times when Danny was a child and gotten up in the pitch-black of night to go to the bathroom, only to be blinded by the fluorescent lights there. Except this was a thousand times more powerful.

_My eyes!_ He shook his head again _"Uhh… I can't see anything!_

A few moments passed and Danny cracked his throbbing eye open just a little, peering over his shoulder towards the door. Although his ghostly eyes were adjusting super-quickly to the change in brightness, he still couldn't see anything more the vague blurs. He frowned slightly as he stood up on shaking legs.

_Who's there?_ All he could see was that there was a smaller blob that kind of looked like a person and a much larger blob he couldn't identify in any way. _I can't tell…_

Then his vision cleared slightly so he could see the massive clawed hand just as it reached through the door towards him. He barely had time to form a shocked expression before said hand grabbed him roughly and slammed him to the ground with a frightening amount of force.

"Uuhhh!" Danny gasped as the wind was knocked out of him. Some back part of his brain observed that had he been human at the moment, the impact probably would have crushed him, but his ghost-form was made of stronger stuff.

Danny choked a little as another trail of icy-mist escaped his mouth then lifted his head the best he could to stare up at the being currently holding him down.

"Uh… wha?" Danny blinked at the sight of a massive ebony-scaled dragon bending the metal of the doorway with ease to make it large enough to enter. "A ghost-dragon?! …Aragon?!"

Kwan, who had been knocked to the side slightly by Aragon's lunge through the door, looked up suddenly. Out of the blue, a memory of something he'd heard about ran through his mind and he gasped, realizing he had to stop the Ghost-Dragon from harming the Phantom too badly.

"W-wait! Ghost-Dragon, stop, don't-" Kwan's warning was cut short as a scaly tail slammed into his chest at a high speed, knocking him clear across the hall to the opposite wall.

"**Insignificant little peasant!**" Aragon roared "**How DARE you give me an order!**"

Kwan's head hit sharply against the wall with a slight cracking noise, and he slid down to the ground, his sight blurring and something warm and sticky running down the side of his face from the throbbing point on his head.

_Blood,_ his mind briefly told him before his head slumped and the world went black.

_**To be continued…**_

**Wow. I gotta go hide so you don't kill me because of that evil, evil cliffhanger **

** Runs to Antarctica to hide **


	6. ToungeTied

**Yes, I know, it's been way, way too long since I've updated this. But don't worry, I haven't abandoned it! There are gonna be some changes to it starting next chapter, but you'll hear about those then…**

**You can read this chapter of the comic Asylum (the original version) at http//the-alchemists- muse. deviantart. com/art /Asylum- Ch6-Pages- 111-112 -54369254 (remove the spaces)**

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom isn't mine, no matter how much I wish it was TTTT…**

**Chapter six**

'**Tounge-Tied'**

'_**Some things are better left alone, **_

_**Completely out of sight and mind, **_

_**Never to be told. **_

_**I find it harder to express the things that no one else can see. **_

_**But me, sometimes I wait for days **_

_**To get my mind back  right.**_**'**

**-'Tounge-tied' By Earshot**

Aragon sniffed in disdain at Kwan's unconscious form before turning to face Danny, who was still pinned beneath his claws.

"**Now…**" Aragon growled, "**You have something that doesn't belong to you…**"

With these words, Aragon began to press down on Danny's chest, causing the ghost-hybrid to gag at the sudden pressure.

"**And if 'It' is not to be in 'It's' owner's hands, then it should be in MINE!**" Aragon finished his threat.

Danny closed his eyes and gritted his teeth against the pain from his ribs being crushed.

"What…" He gasped, "What are you talking about? I don't…" Danny stopped speaking for a moment as his ghost-sense again flowed out of his mouth before regaining his breath somewhat.

"I… don't understand…" he finally finished.

_Oh? Is that so?_

Danny's eyes snapped open in shock. That voice that was not Aragon's, the one that had just spoken… it sounded like…

Danny stared up expecting to see Aragon's massive claws crushing his chest.

Instead he saw a rather blurry human-esc shape, skeletally thin and dressed in dark gray amour and leather, crouched over his chest. A hand with what resembled blades for fingers was pressed against his throat.

This figure… if he'd been able to sleep over the last eleven years, this would have been the one to haunt his nightmares. This was the being who had…. Who had…

Danny felt the terror brought on by his hallucinations begin to build up in his chest, triggered by old painful memories.

This being… this _thing_… No, he didn't want to remember, didn't want to think, didn't want to see… see…

_No! Don't make me see it; don't let me remember what happened!! _

_Well, Half-Dead One…_ The figure spoke in a disturbingly smooth, rich-sounding voice that contrasted with its appearance. _I don't think you're telling the truth. LIAR!!_

The bladed 'fingers' tighten around his neck, and Danny lost his ability to distinguish the hallucination from reality, the scream that had been forming in his throat ripped itself free.

"AAAAAGGGHHHHHHH!!!!!"

Aragon blinked at the Half-Ghost's sudden hysteria. He'd barely crushed the hybrid at all, yet he was already screaming as if in agony. Aragon's confusion vanished however, and the dragon let a toothy smile role over his face.

"**Such a weakling, Hah!**" The Dragon-Prince snickered. He bent closer to the struggling hybrid, who turned his head away as much as he could.

"N-No!! I- I didn't- NO!! S-Stay away from me!!" Danny yelled, trying in vain to get away. Aragon's sadistic grin just grew wider.

"**Your screams are pointless, Half-Ghost. Begging will do you no good-**"

His sentence was cut short due to Danny's foot meeting his jaw in a very unexpected kick.

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" Danny cried out again.

Aragon roared with anger and pain, releasing Danny as he reared back. The ghost-dragon stumbled back a bit on his hind feet and clutched at his bruised snout.

"**By- By node! You liddle-**" It was almost comedic how much Aragon suddenly sounded like he had a cold.

Danny rolled over and managed to get to his knees, gasping from both fear and relief at being allowed to breath normally again. His face contorted into an expression somewhere between horror and confusion and he lifted his head to stare at the ceiling. Another wisp of his ghost-sense drifted out his mouth. "B-but I saw… It was just Aragon?"

_I thought I saw… I thought he was…_

_But it wasn't…_

Danny suddenly realized that there was a patch of light unblocked by Aragon's bulk in the doorway. He looked up and saw a space in the door that he _just might_ fit through, provided he was willing to jump over Aragon's tail, not to mention crazy enough. Which he was.

Danny quickly got to his feet and dashed towards the door, hopping over Aragon's tail as carefully as he could. His foot still brushed against the scales ever so slightly, causing Aragon to instantly raised his head in surprise.

Danny landed gently right outside the door to his cell. As he stood up, he noticed Kwan laying slumped against the wall, blood dripping down his face.

_Huh? Is that… Kwan? _Danny thought, a pang of unhappiness forming in his chest from what was left of his old hero complex. Before he could do anything more, Aragon roared in anger.

"**Oh no, don't you dare to think that you might get away from me!**" Immediately, the Ghost-Prince began to struggle to turn himself around in the restricted space of the cell.

"Uh-oh…" Danny gulped and decided to worry about Kwan later. He spun on his feet and ran as fast as he could down the hall just as Aragon crashed through the already torn and misshapen doorway.

"**You little thief, I'll burn you into ASHES!!!**" he snarled, throwing back his head and began to inhale deeply, inflating his chest. Danny glanced back over his shoulder as he ran, a look of panic forming on his face. "Wait, he's not gonna… Oh man, he is!"

Danny stopped running suddenly, skidding a few feet. He turned on his feet to face Aragon, teeth gritted in nervousness.

At that moment, Aragon threw his head forward as a giant blast of blue-green ecto-fire burst from his mouth. The Ecto-fire seared through the air of the hallway towards Danny, who made no attempt to move.

Instead, he allowed a wide and more then slightly insane grin spread over his face.

Danny inhaled as deep as he could despite the straitjacket restricting his chest, then leaned forward and exhaled. A cloud of icy blue-white mist blew from inside Danny's mouth in a much larger version of his normal ghost-sense.

The arctic cloud collided with the blast of fire from Aragon and the freezing and burning ectoplasms spun around one another for a moment before exploding outward into a huge cloud of light. Aragon wrapped his wings around his face and neck to protect himself from the reaching tendrils of ectoplasm. He growled as the explosion faded and glanced up.

The walls and floor in front of Aragon were covered in a layer of dripping ectoplasmic ice, with small green-blue fires burning here and there.

The one thing that was no longer in the hallway was Danny. He had taken the opportunity to escape.

The look of shock on Aragon's scaly face morphed into one of rage. His amulet began to glow brighter and he practically screamed.

"**Alright then, Phantom! You can run and hide, but you won't escape!**"

"Phew…"

Danny panted slightly, glancing over his shoulder. He sat with his back against the wall in a small side corridor off the main hall where the various ghost's cells were located. After a moment, he relaxed and slouched slightly, drawing his knees up to his chest.

"I hate this…" He grumbled unhappily, "All I can really do is run…"

Not like he had a choice or anything. If he'd stayed and fought… the sad truth was that he would have lost. Badly. The straitjacket-like restraint he unwillingly wore did more then just prevent him from using his arms or hands, it sucked his energy away. The more he moved, the more it drained him of his power and the weaker he became. Danny probably couldn't pull off another attack if he tried.

Danny curled up into a ball, face hidden in his knees. If Aragon hadn't already been setting off his ghost-sense and giving him material to work with…

"This really, really sucks." Danny complained, voice muffled.

An image of when he'd seen Kwan bleeding and unconscious flashed through Danny's broken mind and a pang of guilt flashed through him. It felt like a total betrayal of his personal nature to leave an injured person in harms way, especially if he was partially to blame for it.

"…What was I supposed to do about it?..." Danny asked himself in a vain attempt to make himself feel better. He closed his eyes.

"You should have tried to help him!"

The non-existent 'voice' was familiar, nagging and insistent. One he'd grown up with.

He didn't want to hear what he knew it had to say.

"…Shut up. It doesn't matter anymore." He said angrily, choosing not to open his eyes to look at the hallucination he knew would be there the moment he did. Danny could see in his mind the gritted teeth, the flowing chestnut-orange hair held in a turquoise headband, the black turtleneck of the angry twenty-one year-old women.

"You should have tried! If you had, you wouldn't feel so guilty!"

"Stop NAGGING me!" Danny said loudly, practically whining. He sat back against the wall again and waited a moment before opening one eye cautiously.

The hallway in front of him was empty, no upset imaginary sisters waiting to point their fingers and lecture him.

Danny snorted. "Hmph. And don't come back…"

A sudden thought struck him. "…Hey… Wait a sec…"

A wide smile spread over his face and he began to chuckle a little.

"Heh… Heh-heh… Hey! Heh… I'm out! Ha-ha! I'M OUT OF MY CELL!"

Danny broke out into completely hysterical laughter at that moment, almost yelling at his success at escape.

"HAHAHAHA! Look at me! Ha ha, I'm not in my cell anymore. HA! Heh-heh…"

There was a rather familiar clicking noise and Danny felt something metallic press against the side of his head. His laughter faded immediately and he looked up, startled.

"Huh?"

A GIW Trooper and an Agent with a goatee and mustache stood before the half-ghost, both pointing ecto-weapons at his head. Danny felt a trickle of sweat slip down the back of his neck.

"…Aw, crap."

Vlad Masters glared at nothing, his chin resting on his hand. He couldn't believe this.

_Being confined to a stupid lab-room was NOT part of my plans!_ He thought angrily.

Because that was where he was, seated at the desk in some small side-room where minor research was done. Computers and machinery completely coated the walls, except for a single window to the hallway currently covered by a shade.

The desk was covered in a special magnifying glass for working with circuitry, a few empty Petri dishes, various paperwork and Vlad's hat, which he had discarded there the moment he had sat down. A single trooper armed with the standard ecto-gun stood next to the door, which had been locked from the outside.

Which meant Vlad was currently stuck inside the room.

Vlad and Supervisor Marshall had been heading back to the ground floor when the Supervisor had received an alert on his communicator. It had reported an unknown and apparently dangerous ghost had invaded the Facility. Vlad had no doubt this was Aragon, fulfilling his part of the 'plan'. Unfortunately, Vlad had not been counting on Sup. Marshall to practically shove him into the nearest lab, grab a large ecto-blaster and toss in a single idiot Trooper to guard him, stating that 'Civilians should stay where it's safe. You, Trooper, Protect him'.

Vlad glared at the offending Trooper, who for the last half an hour had been doing pretty much nothing except standing there and looking uncomfortable.

After glowering at the trooper for a few minutes (the poor man had begun to fidget and wonder why Vlad was staring at him, as it was kinda creepy) Vlad sighed. There were still ways out of this situation. First up, the diplomatic approach.

Vlad gripped his cane and stood up with a bit of effort before walking over to the Trooper.

"You are sure I cannot simply leave to return to the ground floor? Surely it'd be just as safe." Vlad asked. The Trooper shrugged, looking embarrassed despite his helmet and facemask.

"Sorry, sir. My orders are very clear. For your own safety, you are not to leave this room."

Vlad said nothing in response to the Trooper, instead turning to look at the window.

So much for the diplomatic approach. Time for the sneaky approach.

Vlad lifted the shade slightly, peering outside. He stared out for a moment before giving a loud gasp. He immediately dropped the shade and stumbled back, a fake expression of horror on his face.

"AAAAAH! OH NO!" He said loudly, pretending to be utterly terrified. The Trooper quickly rushed over to the window to look outside himself.

"Sir, what was it?" The Trooper asked, "What's wrong?"

Vlad suddenly gripped the Trooper's shoulder. The man barely had time to say "huh?" and look up before volts of purple-red ectoplasmic lightning jolted through his body from Vlad's hand. The Trooper spasmed for a moment, his skeleton briefly visible through both his skin and armor. Then Vlad released him, and the man collapsed, unconscious and still twitching slightly.

Vlad stepped over the fallen GIW solider, smiling slightly.

"I'm afraid those orders of yours have been… 'Revoked'." The old hybrid joked. He kneeled carefully next to the Trooper, leaning on his cane for support. He reached down to the small case attached to the Trooper's belt and pulled out a small flat device similar to a key-card. It was, in fact, more or less just that, a special electronic access key that could be programmed to remember the security codes for multiple doors and containers and as such was able to open them.

Vlad shook his head in mock disapproval as he stood back up. "Supervisor Marshall _really_ should be pickier as to who he gives access keys to. A foot solider, honestly!"

He turned and walked over to the wall behind the desk where he'd been previously sitting, eyes focused on a particular case embedded in the wall.

"But then, if he was more careful, I suppose this would be a great deal more difficult!" Vlad said smugly, inserting the access key into the small slot below the case. The doors of the case slid open immediately, revealing a glowing blue cylinder. It was the device inside this cylinder that interested Vlad, and he removed it carefully, hiding it in the pocket of the vest he wore beneath his Armani suit.

When he was done, Vlad turned and walked back past the desk toward the Trooper. The man wasn't going to die from the damage Vlad had dealt him, but he would probably have little to no memory of the last hour or so, which was exactly what Vlad wanted. And that meant Vlad could gloat as much as he wished.

"I'm sure your superiors are very proud of having successfully coated the outside of the Lab doors and hallway walls with a substance that prevents ghosts from phasing through them. But a word from the wise…" Vlad grabbed his hat off the table and stuck it on his head with a wide grin.

"That's only really effective… If ghosts can't phase OUT either!" He crowed.

Vlad turned and promptly phased through the door, stopping only to turn to wave at the Trooper.

"Ta." He said lightly and vanished into the hallway.


	7. 1Stp Klosr

**Righty, so, recently I found that between working on the comic version of this story and various other things, it was becoming extremely hard for me work on this fanfic. However, my friend FunkyFish1991 offered to help me out with it and is now doing most of the writing based around the storyline and events from my comic. For simplicity's sake, we're going to keep posting it here, but the real work was done by FunkyFish, I just did the Beta-work. So there may be some noticeable changes in writing style here. Anyways, hopefully this will mean more updates with less wait between them. Hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Oh, and to read the comic version, copy and paste this address without the spaces- the –alchemists -muse. deviantart. com/ gallery/**

**Disclaimer: Danny Phantom doesn't belong to me or Funkfish1991, it belongs to Butch Hartman. Oh well…**

**Chapter 7**

'**1Stp Klosr'**

'_**Everything you say to me**_

_**Takes me one step closer to the edge**_

_**And I'm about to break**_

_**I need a little room to breathe**_

'_**Cause I'm one step closer to the edge**_

_**And I'm about to break'**_

**-'1stp Klosr' by Linkin Park**

The hallways were abandoned. The whole place was pretty much silent – though far away in another wing Valerie could hear violent shouts and a strange clunking that she recognized as the army of troopers being mobilized. She was glad that they were out too, but the thought of waiting for their backup never occurred to her.

Her feet pounded against the floor, but as Valerie drew closer to her destination she forced herself to land lighter on her feet. She was rushing past rows of heavily secured doors, scanning the numbers on top of them, but ignoring them for the most part in favor of throwing glances all around her, unsure of exactly what she was expecting to see.

All her senses were on high alert, her heart thumping powerfully in her chest. She thought she might have been in a little bit of shock over the sight of the dead trooper, but she refused to think about it – forced herself to concentrate on where she was now and what was around her.

Valerie reached the end of the hallway, and slowed right down to a fast walk, striding around the corner, where she knew Phantom's cell was located.

But when she turned to look at it, she froze, her eyes shooting wide open.

The hallway was decimated. The door to Phantom's cell was torn open, the crumpled steel door strewn on the floor. The floor was coated in steaming ice, and a thin green smoke curled up from several green fires blazing across the walls and tiles.

But then she noticed Kwan.

Valerie darted over to him frantically. He was slumped unconsciously against the wall opposite the door, blood streaming from a wound on his head, dripping down onto his neck and shoulder.

She fell to her knees beside him.

"Kwan! Hey, c'mon, wake up!"

She lifted her hand, unsure whether or not she should shake him. Up close, she could see all the blood soaked into the shoulder of his lab coat, and panic flared inside her. Kwan suddenly moaned and his leg twitched. She breathed out in relief.

"Uh…huh?…Valerie?..."

He sounded dazed, and by the look of his head, she decided that was a fair guess. His green eyes flickered open, searching for her, and opening further when he located her at his side.

He immediately curled his arms around his chest and rocked forwards, his face contorting in distress.

"Ahh! Ow…oh man…my ribs ache…" Kwan groaned.

Valerie blinked once as he twitched painfully.

"Your ribs? What about your head!?" she practically yelled at him.

His arms fell from his sides. "Huh? My head?..." He pulled up his right hand to his head, twitching when his fingers felt the bloodied gash. He was swaying slightly, leaning forwards from the wall. His eyes were a little unfocused as he retracted his hand and looked down at the scarlet blood now coating it.

"Oh, wow…"

Valerie stared at him, amazed that he hadn't realized that he had been so badly injured. He probably had a concussion. He was still looking down fuzzily at his bloodied hand.

"That's why my head's throbbing a little…"

_A little???_

Before she could say anything, he began to lean further forwards.

"Whoa," She instantly pressed her hand against his shoulder, forcefully keeping his back against the wall. "Don't move so much! The blood loss–"

But he cut her off as he reached into his coat. "Hey, wait…it's okay…" He still sounded a little off, his voice slurring slightly. But when he retracted his hand, in it were two small syringes, green crosses on their fronts. "See? I've got these."

She relaxed slightly, but still gave him a weird look through her helmet. "Medical-repair Nanite injections?"

Kwan pulled the cap off the first one, his hands a little shaky.

"You carry those around with you?" Valerie asked.

He tensed up as he pricked the little syringe into the side of his head, wincing quietly. "Yeah…Supervisor Marshall makes everyone carry some…in case they get hurt…"

Valerie grinned humorlessly. "I guess this proves it makes sense, huh?"

Kwan didn't respond, but was already starting to look a little better. He had stopped trembling and looked less ill. He sighed as he pushed himself further up the wall. Valerie stood, her hands on her hips.

"So…you're gonna be okay?" she asked the injured scientist.

"Yup." He reached down and tore a thick strip of cloth off the bottom of his coat. "I feel kinda woozy, but the Nanites ought to fix me up, blood loss and all." He glanced at his blood-soaked shoulder. "Plus, it really does look worse than it is."

Valerie gave him a skeptical look.

Kwan caught her disbelieving expression. "Really!" He started to wrap the cloth around his head in a makeshift bandage. "Even shallow head injuries bleed a lot!" He tied off the end of the cloth. "Trust me, I've gotten hit on the head before, I played football!"

"Okay, fine, I believe you." There was only a trace of sarcasm in Valerie's voice. "Now–" She turned to look behind her, and suddenly remembered with a jolt the scene around them.

The gaping hole in the wall stared at her, revealing the dark cell behind. The dark, _vacant _cell.

"Kwan…please tell me that didn't used to be Phantom's cell." She begged him, though she knew he would be lying.

"Um, sorry, Valerie…it kinda is…"

Valerie gritted her teeth and wheeled around to face him. "That stupid ghost, you mean me did all this?" Her voice was beyond a yell.

Kwan drew away from her. "It wasn't Phantom."

She stared at him, still fuming.

"You're gonna think my memory's messed up from getting thrown into a wall, but…it was a Ghost Dragon." His eyes flitted sideway almost guiltily. Valerie glared at him as he shrugged, before turning once more to look at the glowing mess that was the hallway.

"A Ghost Dragon. Great. Whatever." She began to walk away, slamming her feet angrily down onto the tiles. "All I need to know is that there's a rogue ghost loose in the Facility, Phantom's cell is ripped open and he's gone."

Kwan watched her fume away, before suddenly remembering something. He darted forwards and grabbed her wrist.

"Valerie, wait!"

She turned to look at him, though her body was still turned away. He swallowed nervously.

"Valerie, um, there's some stuff I gotta talk to you about." He started fidgeting nervously, his hand still wrapped around her wrist. "Something I need to show you and such…"

"Okay, what?" She sounded impatient. But Kwan glanced nervously to the side, suddenly releasing his hold on her.

"I…I can't tell you here. In this Facility, I mean…"

"Alright, fine." She seemed to sense how nervous he was and calmed herself down a little. "You know that café on Riddick Street in the south section of the city? The one with the manager with the really deep voice?" She turned away and tossed the last bit over her shoulder as she began to run. "Meet me there in two days at 11a.m.."

Kwan blinked once before calling after her. "O-okay! See you then!"

She rounded the corner and left him alone in the messy hallway with the ice and green fire. He stared after her, the throbbing in his head dying down – and a huge grin smeared across his face.

"Hey, maybe it's work-related, but it's one step closer to a real date!"

Danny lunged forwards and slammed his broad shoulder into the chest of the Agent, who dropped his gun in pain. The weapon whirred and with a strange squeal shot a glowing blue blast into the air. Danny threw himself backwards to avoid the blast.

"Yikes!" He yelped as the beam missed him by an inch.

He recovered quickly and fell back into a crouch, ready for whatever came next. He looked up to see the Trooper aiming another, much bigger gun, at his head. Danny ignored the groaning Agent slipping to the floor beside him and focused on the Trooper.

Man he hated these guys.

The floored Agent looked furtively up at the ghost looming over him, and shot out an arm to grab his fallen gun. Danny's eyes caught the movement.

"Nuh-uh! Not a chance!" he said as he kicked the gun violently out of the Agent's reach, ignoring the man's yelp of protest. The gun soared through the air and hit the Trooper sharply on the helmet.

"Ack!" The Trooper buckled and began to swear viciously as both Danny and the Agent looked on, the Agent looking more and more worried, and Danny blessing his good luck.

He suddenly remembered the other problem, and turned to the sweating Agent. The half-ghost's lips curled into a devious grin as he laughed silently at the man's terrified expression. He absolutely _towered_ over the other guy, neither of them could help but notice.

Without warning, Danny whipped his head down into the forehead of the Agent. Their skulls met with a deadly cracking sound, and the Agent yelled in agony, while Danny's face still held a trace of a smile.

The Agent collapsed, dazed and bruised, but Danny had already forgotten him. He glanced back over his shoulder.

The Trooper was paying him no attention at all, still nursing his head and muttering darkly against the 'stupid ghost'.

Danny jumped into the air as best he could, his strait jacket making him off balance. It was only then that the Trooper noticed him. His pupils dilated when he saw the huge bulk of the six foot four inch tall ghost flying at top speed towards him. He didn't have time to react before Danny's foot landed heavily on his face.

"Arrgh! Not again!" the Trooped moaned, his knees buckling as Danny's foot crushed into his helmet with a sickening, unidentifiable crunching sound.

The Trooper yelled in pain as Danny continued on in his jump over the obstacle, landing lightly on both feet and carrying on seamlessly.

Danny looked back over his shoulder as he rounded the corner.

"Well, that was fun, gotta go, bye!" He called out to the injured GIW men and then he was gone.

The Trooper stared after him, his hand pressed to his head, the unconscious Agent still on the floor behind him.

No way. Not without hazard pay. There was _no _way he was chasing that psycho. He was certain his nose was broken anyway.

"I'm not paid enough."

Danny's long legs powered him at high speed down the corridors, gaining speed and momentum.

Suddenly his strait jacket flashed brightly and he felt a strange current surging through him. But instead of getting a power boost, he rocketed down to the ground with a groan. He slammed onto his knees and felt painful vibrations shooting through his legs. He sat back on his heels and groaned, gasping furiously.

_Dammit…the strait jacket keeps sucking out my powers…at this rate, soon I'm not going to be able to move at all…_

He panted for a few more seconds, before struggling once more to his feet. He didn't even try to start running, worried about what would happen if he was rendered powerless.

Suddenly his vision shifted. He slumped involuntarily against the wall beside him, staring vacantly forwards with drooping eyes.

_Oh…_

His back slumped over as his eyelids dropped further and a sense of unreality began to fall over him.

_The Not-Real feeling is back again…_

The hallway moved and shifted before him, blurring and focusing and blurring again. His legs felt shaky, and he felt uncertain and lightheaded, not able to trust his own vision anymore. He tapped the floor with his toes before taking a step to assure himself of where the ground was.

_Just keep walking…just…_

He forced his eyes open, willing his vision to clear, but he still saw hazily. He felt as though he was dreaming, but still wide awake at the same time. He wasn't sure where exactly he was – lost within the labyrinth of the Facility. But there wasn't much else he could do…

_Just…just keep going…and stuff…_

His hearing faded in and out, and he passed a branching hallway without even registering it – just walking.

He also didn't notice as a cane tapped the floor of the hallway, and a suited figure inched around the corner. Vlad's piercing dark blue eyes followed the staggering young ghost stoically down the hallway.

The billionaire's face slowly curved into a scheming grin as twin black disks emerged from his core, glowing red as they traveled up and down his body, peeling off his human form and leaving the ghostly body of Vlad Plasmius in its wake. Little had changed in him over the last fourteen years.

The wide white lapels still fanned out under his gelled black hair – still spiking up over his head devilishly. His eyes were still eerily red, framed with black. His fangs still protruded over his lower lip as his twisted smile widened.

"Found you…"

Danny half-collapsed against the wall, his shoulder hitting it roughly as one of his legs threatened to buckle on him.

_Oh, look…_

He smiled faintly as he recognized an old friend.

_That dancing cactus is back…_

His smile fell away as he moved closer and closer to the short cactus, shaking its maracas cheerfully at him, smiling happily under its sombrero. It faded away like a mist when he drew closer, and Danny felt a strange pang of loss.

Suddenly a door to his left swished open with a tiny _beep _of its control panel. He swung his head round to look at it.

Danny blinked, his lower lip jutting out as he stared.

"Door?"

He grinned and then shrugged. "Okay. Why not?"

Danny stepped through the doorway, distantly pleased to note that the dream-like feeling had faded away with the dancing cactus. It was dark in the room, a faint blue light radiating from somewhere.

Suddenly, the doors slammed shut behind him with a violent clang.

"Hey!" he yelped, jumping forwards before his pants got caught. Before he could investigate what had almost claimed his butt as a trophy, he was distracted by what he saw before him.

"Wha?" He said in surprise, taking in the appearance of the room for the first time.

A reaching platform was on his right, two steps leading up to it, a podium rising out of its center, and a projection screen stretched across the wall behind it. Rows and rows of tiered seating rose opposite it – but apart from that the cavernous space was empty.

"Whoa…big room…"

It was almost silent, his voice echoing deeply but quietly through the room.

Then someone else spoke.

"It's been a long time…"

Danny froze and stared straight in front of him as he recognized the voice.

"I think about eleven years, wasn't it?"

The horribly familiar voice curled around his ears and sent unpleasant shivers down his spine. He started to turn around.

"Well, I suppose it doesn't really matter."

Vlad. Vlad was floating right behind him. Danny's stomach clenched.

"Hello… Daniel." The man said softly, a smile on his inhuman face.

_Daniel_. That was a word he hadn't heard in a while. Danny stared blankly at the ghost before him. _Vlad_. It was Vlad. Vlad from before…Vlad who knew his name…Vlad who called him by his name…Vlad who…

Danny's eyebrows turned right down. He was beginning to bare his teeth without even realizing it – his eyes narrowing darkly into furious slits as he didn't even bother to control himself.

But suddenly he lifted his head. The snarl on his lips curved up into a twisted, creepy smile, his eyes widening and his eyebrows arching.

It was a disturbing expression that you wouldn't ever want to see on _anyone's_ face…

"Hi, Plasmius!"


	8. Unspoken

See? Now that I've been getting help from FunkyFish1991, updates are coming much, much quicker! Unfortunantly, since I haven't even started on the next chapter of the comic yet, it might be a while before the next update. But in the meantime, I hope you enjoy this chapter!

To read the original version comic version of this chapter, copy and paste http ://the- alchemists- muse. deviantart. com/art /Asylum -ch8-pages -148-149- 58803115 (without the spaces)

Disclaimer: Neither I or FunkyFish own Danny Phantom… Although I know I'd like to.

DPDPDPDP

'**Unspoken'**

'_**I see it in your eyes**_

_**The way you feel inside**_

_**Your idea of me**_

_**Is all that I can be**_

_**You can talk your fears away**_

_**There's still something that you just won't say**_

_**And the silence is broken**_

_**But the words are unspoken'**_

**-'Unspoken by Hypnogaja**

Vlad cocked an eyebrow at the ghostly young man standing before him, his arms were folded around his cane as he floated nonchalantly in front of the door.

Danny still wore the creepy smile, and it stretched wider still as the moment wore on.

"Heh." Danny chuckled with what looked like some twisted version of glee.

Suddenly the smile disappeared and shifted into a scowl. He opened his mouth wide and took a deep breath, pulling air rapidly into his lungs.

Vlad recognized the action immediately and sprung forwards. "I wouldn't do that!" He threw his fist at the younger ghost, hitting his chin with a crack, and sending him flying in the opposite direction.

"With those ecto-restraints still on? Do you want to be completely drained of power?" Vlad asked in a tone just short of mocking.

Danny slammed into the podium, his back arching painfully when he hit it. He groaned and slumped onto the floor of the stage, scowling distrustfully at Vlad as the vampiric half-ghost moved to float before him.

Still hovering, Vlad curled into a crouch, looking Danny in the eye with a faint smile.

"But, if you morph back to human first, I'll help you out." He said smoothly, setting his hand on top of his cane and leaning forward slightly. "How about it?"

Danny glared at him, baring his teeth slightly.

"No."

Vlad gave him a look of feigned shock. "Why not?" He threw his hand up and gestured to the enormous room behind him. "There are no surveillance cameras in this room."

Danny looked down and gave Vlad a wistful smile. "Well…I guess because…I don't want to die."

Vlad's eyebrows shot up in momentary surprise.

"Oh?"

But the expression vanished quickly, and a malicious grin replaced it.

"So…you knew about that…"

"I…I know a lot of stuff. Stuff I shouldn't be able to know…" He looked up. "Like about you, Vlad…" tiny black flecks resembling something almost like numbers appeared in his green eyes. "You've got a scar behind your left ear from when you fell out of a tree when you were eight. And…" A few more flecks appeared. "There's a bottle of some wine called _Château LaFite _you've got hidden in your library that you're saving for when you're finally appointed to be Governor of the Amity District, whatever that place is." His irises were heavily flecked with black now, almost like a ring of black dots around his pupils, as he stared intently at the older half-ghost before him. "Oh, and your middle name's Sebastian."

"W-What?!" Vlad drew back in shock, trembling slightly. He was unable to tear his eyes from the ghost sitting before him. "How'd you–" He appeared to collect himself. "I mean, humph. You could have learned those things from an interview or something!..."

_No he couldn't… _The thought nagged Vlad as he tried to brush his uneasiness at this new development away.

But Danny ignored him, continuing to speak. "And I also know that because I haven't eaten or drunk anything in the last eleven years, if I turned back to my human self…" He closed his eyes as the flecks disappeared, and dropped his head.

"I'd die instantly."

"Yes," Vlad seemed to have recovered from his shock and had turned his head away to stare at the ground. "That's right…well…I have a different question for you." He looked up and straight into Danny's black and green eyes. "Daniel, do you have any idea what you look like?"

"What… I look like?" Danny cocked his head, giving Vlad a strange look. "I look different, right? But I never saw myself in a mirror or anything before–"

He stopped and froze. His eyes widened as realization and something similar to terror washed over him like ice water.

"Before…ah…no…"

He started to shake. "No, I didn't see. I didn't see anything. NOTHING!" He was trembling uncontrollably, sweating, his eyes as wide as they could get.

Vlad frowned at Danny's unexpected reaction "Uh, yes…anyway…"

He moved forwards, reaching his hand out as if beckoning to Danny. His fingers came dangerously close to touching Danny's chin. "Wouldn't you like to know why that change happened?"

The young ghost drew back instinctively, and his trembling ebbed as he realized what was going on.

"Haven't you ever wondered about it?" Vlad asked him in a soft tone.

Danny looked into Vlad's face, completely still.

His voice was almost a murmur. "Why?"

Vlad leaned in closer to the younger half-ghost, in to whisper in his ear. "You changed because…"

Danny's eyes widened further and further as Vlad spoke, his heart starting to drum in his chest.

_W-What did he just say!? Then that means…_

"This is something that which has only happened to you and me." Vlad drew back. "No one else."

Danny cast down his eyes. "It was the same for you?"

The black flecks reappeared in his eyes. Danny rolled his head to look at the closed doors.

"Oh. Aragon's gonna break that door down if you don't let him in."

Vlad stood up straight and raised an eyebrow. "Huh!? Wait, what are you–"

_**WHAM**_

Vlad whipped around to stare at the door in surprise, as the pounding sound reverberated around the room.

Danny gave him a sideways glance. "I told you so."

"Oh for crying out loud!" Vlad shouted angrily at the door. He strode over to it, pulling out a small, flat remote, mumbling to himself. "How the hell did Daniel know?..." He muttered as he clicked a button on the remote.

A small crack appeared in the center of the two doors as they began to slide apart, but before they could open an inch, ten huge claws curved through the gap and wrenched them open with a grinding crunch. Vlad jumped back in surprise.

He covered up his shock instantly. "Ah, Prince Aragon…I don't suppose you'd consider using more…_finesse_…in the future." He grinned.

T

he enormous dragon pushed his head through the doorway after wrenching the gap as wide as he could. His neck slithered through, before he scraped the rest of his body inside, his scales catching on the metal doorframe with a terrible screeching sound.

"Watch your tongue, Sir Plasmius," he warned, his voice turned almost into a snarl. "It almost sounded as if you were telling me how I, a prince, should act."

"Oh. No!" Vlad flustered, shaking his hands wildly in denial. "Not at all, never!"

The dragon didn't reply, so Vlad assumed he was in the clear. He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I seem to remember that we have business to deal with…" They both turned to Danny, watching them from the stage.

"Huh? Wait…" Then it hit. "…oh _man_!" Danny scrambled to his feet and shot away from the door and Aragon's snapping teeth right behind him.

"Hey, wait a sec – I'M NOT EDIBLE!" Danny yelped.

"Prince Aragon, might I request you wait a moment?" Vlad called out, flying over to float next to the dragon.

Aragon's huge head whipped round to face Plasmius, a snarl etched heavily onto his face. "Why?" His scaled brow lifted cockily. "Did you not say earlier that we should do anything necessary to regain _It _from the Ghost-Child?

Vlad moved his hand to grip his chin. "Well…originally, yes. But you see, by pure luck I came across a very interesting item…" He reached within the black vest he wore under his white suit and cape .

When his hand reappeared, in it was clutched a small device similar to the one he had used to open the door. Vlad held it up in front of his chest.

"It seems…I have found the control to Daniel's restraints. And, well…" He grinned horribly, his fangs arching over his lip almost in triumph. "I've never really been good at sharing."

He held up the control and pressed the large button in the center. A green light flashed at the top.

_Be-beep!_

Danny shut his eyes, bracing himself to be completely drained of energy, or shocked, or knocked out…but instead he heard a strange noise.

_Snap! Snap! Snap!_

Danny heard three small clicks on the floor, but remained completely still, staring vacantly straight ahead.

"Huh?" He said in surprise at the lack of searing pain or other unpleasantness.

Aragon turned violently to Vlad and snarled ferociously at him. "Plasmius!! What do you think you're doing!?"

Vlad smiled casually, turning to look up at the furious dragon. He shrugged innocently. "Did you really think I'd let you get your hands on _It_? Please. You've served your purpose."

His grin turned savage as he swept his cape around him dramatically, vanishing in a swirl of red ectoplasmic mist.

"Play nice now!", his final laugh echoed emptily between the two remaining ghosts in the room.

Aragon stared furiously at the space Vlad had just vacated. "Plasmius, you traitor…" He growled low in his throat.

Danny was oblivious. "My strait jacket…"

"Hey, ghosts!"

Aragon turned to look at the source of the noise, swinging his great neck round impatiently.

An armored foot slammed down onto the ground in the ripped-open doorway. Valerie stood dominantly in the doorway, her right hand defiantly on her hip, her left arm reached out. A silver and red cube was appearing over her left hand, forming out of her suit and glowing with rippling red energy.

"You didn't plan on starting the party without me, did you?" She asked smugly.

Aragon just growled angrily at her, his teeth bared, while Danny didn't seem to even notice her.

"But hey," she stepped into the room. "Now I'm here, and you're gonna pay for what you did to Kwan and those Troopers!" Valerie was absolutely seething with barely restrained anger.

Aragon merely snarled at her. "When will these ridiculous interruptions end!?"

Danny was still staring straight ahead, but finally spoke quietly, as though he hadn't heard what either of them had been saying.

"Hey Val…"

He turned to look at her, his glowing eyes sparking mischievously.

"Look…"

And he moved his foot against one of the three small objects on the floor at his feet, nudging it over.

Still holding the now fully-formed cube over her hand, Valerie took a step towards him, peering down at his feet. "Wait…those…aren't they the clips to your restraints?..."

She paled below her visor.

That wouldn't be good.

She quickly activated the monitor on the inside of her visor, the radar detecting the sources of ghostly energy around her. It zeroed in on Phantom. She looked frantically at his energy levels, measured by the two standard scales.

_MIB: 5.5_

_GIW: 3.2_

Phantom's arms and chest started to glow green, lighting-like energy crackling around them. His levels were escalating rapidly, her scanners beeping wildly in her ears.

_MIB: 11.8_

_GIW: 7.4_

And they kept rising. She could only stare.

Danny started forcing his arms apart, letting his dormant energy flood back into him and crackle out and around his arms. He struggled and strained, hearing the fabric tearing and ripping.

But not fast enough. Aragon seemed to have overcome his shock, and both he and Valerie dove for him.

"I'll devour you and it together!!" Aragon roared

"Oh, no you don't!!" Valerie yelled, also focused on the half-ghost.

Danny saw them coming through dropped eyelids.

"Too slow…" he murmured.

He took in a huge breath, summoning everything inside him. The energy seared through and out of him, exploding in a flash of green light and energy.

Aragon drew back, staring silently. Valerie shielded her eyes against the blinding light with her arm.

"Agh! Dammit!" She yelled, trying to see through the glare.

The light soon began to die down, and a heavy green smoke rose off and around the half-ghost before her. His hands were clenched at his sides, his back slouching slightly. He held the remains of the strait jacket in his hands, but let the fabric flutter gently to the ground through the glowing smoke. His ghost sense had started going off, exiting in large puffs of mist from his mouth.

Danny bent his fingers, and felt cool ectoplasm run through the veins in his arms, tingling and wonderfully familiar. He let the energy collect in the center of his hand, expanding and running over and around his fingers and palm – the almost constant sense of helplessness that had controlled him for the last eleven years (or had it really been the last fourteen years?) slowly evaporating.

And there he stood – billowing green smoke rising around him, mixing with the cool blue of his ghost sense, the DP emblem on his chest visible and proud once more. His arms were almost limp by his sides, unpleasant pin and needles feelings rushing through them, but he ignored it. He kept the ectoblast dormant in his hand – comforted in the power it gave him.

He still breathed heavily, glaring up from under white eyebrows, his mouth in an angry grimace.

He suddenly drew his glowing hand up to his face, looking at it almost in shock. It was heavily bandaged by an odd electric green fabric, and the nails were far too long, but he didn't notice that. All he cared about was the fact that this was _his _hand.

His _hand_.

He clenched it into a fist for the first time in eleven years, letting his eyes fall closed, feeling the unused muscles protesting and pulling – but concentrating on the raw, powerful ectoplasm he could feel pulsing through his veins once more, letting it drain into the center of his fist, the ball of energy glowing brighter and growing stronger.

Aragon watched him furiously, before harrumphing and raising a claw menacingly towards Danny, who was paying him no attention whatsoever.

"If you think this changes anything, you're wrong! I'll still destroy you!!"

Danny's eyes flashed open. He turned – and looked happily up at the fuming ghost dragon, seeming as though he hadn't even heard him.

"Wow. You know what?" A genuine smile appeared on his face.

"I feel pretty good right now."

Danny's arm shot out, not giving Aragon time to react before Danny's hand slammed into his nose and sent his great bulk sprawling to the ground. Grinning widly, Danny turned to Val, leaving Aragon on the floor.

"Haha, look!" He laughed. "I can use my arms."

A familiar noise suddenly alerted the ghost-man to danger and he jerked to the side as a scarlet blast whizzed past his head.

"H-hey, what was that for!?" he demanded indignantly at Valerie, who had a hand outstretched toward him, the metallic cube she'd made earlier still sparking from a red triangle in it's center

Valerie glared murderously at him from behind her visor as another red cube began to form out of her suit over her right hand.

"Straitjacket or no straitjacket," she growled, throwing her arm forwards and blasting at his chest with both cubes. "I'm not going to let you escape!"

Danny jumped to the side to escape the bolts with a slight yelp as she continued to fire on him, the red blasts raining down on the carpet.

Valerie noticed distantly that she was completely decimating the room, but all she really saw right then was the escaped ghost that she _had_ to defeat. She wouldn't let him get out of this Facility, he didn't deserve it!

Dodging quickly, Phantom leapt into the air and Valerie saw his legs disappear to form a ghostly tail. She gritted her teeth – she _hated _it when he did that. It was so creepy!

She wasn't aware of the huge, scaly shape rising behind her.

Danny, however, was. He soared across the ground, skimming its surface between red blasts of Valerie's weapons and heading straight for the enraged ghost hunter.

he was at her side before she even blinked. Danny put his wide hand on her shoulder and out peered from behind her. "…Yeah, well, I think THAT is a bigger problem than me!" He jabbed his finger at the very big – and very angry – ghost dragon pushing himself up onto his claws.

Valerie's eyes widened and Phantom seemed to vaporize as a threat, even though he was right next to her – practically hugging her – and completely unrestrained.

"Oh. 'That'." She murmured softly.

Aragon's huge head swung round in their direction, his red eyes fuming slits, his nostrils flaring furiously. He rose to the extent of his great height, and Valerie's feet carried her backwards a few paces, before her back met with Phantom's chest. He wasn't moving – his eyes fixed on the dragon.

Aragon's neck arched back slightly, and he began to inhale deeply.

Valerie felt a tiny tremor pass through Phantom's body before his hands suddenly slammed into her back.

"Val, MOVE!" he snapped, shoving her roughly to the floor. She gasped in surprise as her shoulder smacked painfully into the tile floor. She looked up angrily at the panicked looking ghost.

"What the hell!? What do you mean 'move'–"

The room flashed green as an impossibly large steam of fire shot out of the dragon's mouth. The teal flames were instantly upon the spot where Valerie had been standing only moments before.

Valerie simply watched with wide eyes as Phantom was completely engulfed by the flames.

DPDPDPDP

Um… That was pretty evil a cliffhanger, even for me. I'm gonna run and hide now. Seeya next time!


	9. Go to sleep little man being erased

**Hello, we're back after waaaay too long. I had some stuff happen, so I couldn't work on the comic for a while, which meant Funkyfish couldn't work on the writing for a while… But here's the new chapter, shiny-new for ya! Enjoy!**

**Also, if you wanna read the original comic version, copy and paste the following URL without the spaces:**

**http//the- alchemists- muse. deviantart. com/art/ Asylum-ch9- pages-170- 171- 64695934**

**Danny Phantom belongs to Butch Hartman and such…**

'**Go to sleep (Little man being erased)'**

'_**I'm gonna go to sleep**_

_**And let this wash all over me**_

_**We don't really want a monster taking over**_

_**Tip-toe around, tie them down'**_

**- 'Go to sleep (little man being erased) by Radiohead**

The green flames roared and blazed, climbing higher and higher. Their green glow reflected off the metallic suit of the ghost huntress lying frozen on the floor beside them.

The only thought running through Val's mind as she watched the flames dance was _that…that was almost me._

Aragon laughed, lording over the flames that had apparently devoured Danny with pride, watching them blaze with glee.

"**Hahahaha! Burn you wretch!!**" He ducked his head down, snarling with pleasure. "Burn until nothing but _It _remains!"

"Nah…I don't think I will."

The familiar voice had risen suddenly out of the flames, catching the dragon by surprise. As the fire began to calm down a bit, a figure could be seen standing in the center of the inferno, smiling faintly.

A black and white clothed figure, protected by the glowing blue ice shield that encased him.

A cocky grin played across Danny's lips.

"You see, it sounds a bit painful."

Danny flew into motion, crossing his arms close to his body as he tapped once more into his powers. His brow furrowed in concentration as he felt the cold rush through him once more.

_Weird…_

He flung his arms out from his body, causing the ice shield to dissemble itself and explode outwards.

_Eleven years, but…_

With a great blast of teal and blue, the ice radiated out from him, expelling the flames and shooting far out across the floor.

…_But I still know how to use my powers so easily…_

By now Valerie had recovered and gotten to her feet. She approached Danny cautiously, her careful movements showing both shock and a vague relief. The tiniest of fires still crackled across the floor around them.

Danny didn't look at Valerie as she stopped next to him, and she didn't know if he even realized she was there. He simply stood and grinned almost wonderingly into space.

"It's so easy…" He said softly.

Aragon snarled, angry at what he saw as Danny 'taunting' him. The amulet around his neck glowed fiercer. Smoke streamed from his nostrils as his lips came up, baring his enormous fangs.

"**You'll regret mocking me!!!**" Aragon hissed through his clenched teeth.

As he spoke, something small and dark dropped from his neck, and landed with a faint 'click' on the ground.

Both the white-haired ghost and the ghost huntress now standing besides him dropped their heads to stare incredulously at the 'object'. Valerie raised an eyebrow.

"His scale fell off??" she asked incredulously. It seemed like such a random thing to happen at this moment.

"Alright, I think that's enough."

The voice, heavy with an Irish accent, at first seemed to be echoing from nowhere. However…

Danny blinked. He whipped his head to look at Valerie and pointed at the felled object, which was beginning to shift and 'sprout' a vague dark grey shape.

"The scale's TALKING, Val!!"

"Uh…yeah…" she watched in shock as the substance continued to curl out of the 'scale'. "It is…"

Under the disbelieving stares of the two figures before him, Aragon dropped his great head down to the ground next to the scale.

"**Onic! What do you mean by that!?**" he growled, sounding rather offended.

Danny's head shot up to stare at Aragon. He'd just said… No, that's couldn't have been right… Or was it? Had the name Aragon'd said really been...

_Onic!?_

The substance rising from the scale curled up into the air beneath Aragon's scrutiny. Before their eyes, the cloud started to take a form – a strange, humanoid shape, and glassy round, orange eyes started to become visible from where the face would be.

The smoky figure sighed and continued in a heavy Irish accent.

"Really, Aragon…even with Plasmius's little betrayal, if you'd just followed the plan we'd be done by now!" It scolded, sounding exasperated.

The smoke curled around itself and solidified until a strange ghost was left standing before the trio. His ragged grey lab coat was fastened tightly over a black turtleneck – a bright orange ponytail pulled back in the spiky hair that stuck out from beneath the dark grey top hat on his head. In black gloved hands was held a fearsome amputation blade: like a scythe, though its blade was thick and squared. The ghost's face was concealed beneath a mask that resembled both an old-fashioned gas mask and a bird's beak – the orange-lensed goggles glowing brightly over it.

Aragon turned away from the figure, narrowing his eyes in something similar to shame.

"**It-it is not so simple!! Much happened and, ah…**" Aragon stuttered, seemingly searching for excuses

"Ok," Val yelled furiously. "When was that 'Plasmius' guy here, who is this new guy and WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU ALL COMING FROM!?"

She didn't notice that besides her, Danny had broken out into a sweat, the look that indicated his hysteria coming on forming quickly on his face.

"See?" The ghost called Onic pointed a finger at the fuming woman and turned accusingly to Aragon. "She shouldn't be here." He dropped his hand. "And now you've made me reveal myself. So problematic!" His tone sounded as if he was scolding a naughty child, rather then the so-called 'Ghost Dragon Prince'.

He turned slightly away, and a tiny click sounded as the ghost adjusted his hold on his blade.

"And so…"

He seamlessly swung himself around, the blade whipping out in front of him.

"It's been decided that we should end our actions here!"

The blade sliced clean into the glowing green amulet around Aragon's neck. With a deep cracking sound the amulet split in two, and tiny green shards shattered down onto the floor below.

Aragon's eyes flew to the remains of his amulet; his red eyes shooting wide open in horror.

"**My-my amulet!!**" he roared. "**NOOO!!**"

Immediately his scales began disappearing, his body shrinking, his voice cracking as he transformed back to his human-like form, crying denial.

"No…this can't be…"

He collapsed to his knees, a man once more, the remains of his amulet scattered on the ground before him. He looked down at them in shock.

"My amulet…my power…I…"

His shaking hand fastened around one of the two halves and brought it up to his face. His teeth gritted in fury.

"How dare you do this, Onic!"

Valerie didn't' know what was really going on here, but she definitely knew that between fighting a ghost-dragon and fighting an ghost-man whose ecto reading on her suit was rather low, she'd prefer to fight the man. If she was going to attack, now was her chance while he was distracted.

She began to lunge forward, the ecto-blasters floating over her shoulders once again sparking with energy, only to be stopped by Danny's arm blocking her way.

"Hey!" She turned to stare incredulously at the ghost beside her. "What are you doing!?"

Danny was trembling; his mouth curved down in…fear?

He murmured to the ground.

"Wait…just…"

Valerie frowned behind her helmet. _Why does he look so freaked out?…_

"Just wait…"

His voice trembled, and for the first time she noticed the sweat running down his face.

Wait…ghosts didn't–

Valerie's train of thought changed as she noticed the ghost apparently named 'Onic' calmly approach Aragon (who was still mourning the loss of his precious amulet) and crouch down so the two ghosts where eye to eye.

"You're making an awfully big fuss over this." Onic said lightly, as if discussing the weather or something equally mundane.

Aragon immediately turned on Onic in a rage. "I am the Prince Aragon!" the crowned ghost shouted furiously, baring pointed teeth at Onic. "Even if you are the Inquisitor's assistant, you had no right to–"

He froze.

"To…"

None of them had even seen Onic move, but suddenly his hand had shot up to be even with Aragon's chin. From under his sleeve a syringe protruded into the dragon ghost's throat, a greenish-purple liquid slowly draining into Aragon's neck.

"Well, it's time for a rebellion, I believe."

" Onic said in the same light tone, watching the last of the substance flow into the ghost before him before pulling the syringe out.

"N-no…wait." Aragon's hand flew to his neck as Onic rose. "Onic, you just…"

Suddenly green-brown marks and inflammation started to creep up Aragon's neck from the puncture wound. He shouted in fear as his skin began decaying before him, rotting and falling to the ground. The liquid shot rapidly through his veins, and immediately the flesh around it died.

"NO Onic..!" Aragon yelped, fear pitching his voice higher. "Onic, help me!" desperation began creeping into Aragon's voice as the green flaking reached up across his face and branched down his body.

As his arms turned green, the skin dying, the stench of rotting flesh filled the room. Aragon reached out to the apparently careless ghost before him.

"Onic, please! G-give me an antidote!" the ghostly prince begged, trying in vain to grab Onic's lab coat.

Onic ignored him, calmly striking a match against his mask, the match lighting into eerie purple and black flame.

"On…ic…"

Decayed flesh had started falling from his outreached arm when Aragon made a terrible choking sound. His back crumpled and he collapsed to the ground.

Behind him Valerie's hand shot instinctively to her mouth as she forced back the urge to retch at what she'd just seen. Her eyes and those of the trembling Phantom beside her were wide in horror.

"Oh God…" Valerie whispered.

"Antidote?" Onic raised his head slightly, his back to the silent, rotted body of Prince Aragon. His fingers still clasped the purple flaming match, his amputation blade resting casually in the crook of his shoulder.

"Wherever did you get an idea like that?" the 'doctor' like ghost crowed, casually flicking the match onto the corpse, giving it only the barest glance to make sure he didn't miss. The flames instantly caught the body, and a purple blaze erupted behind him.

"There's no such thing as an antidote for a _virus_, you pathetic fool. Oh wait…" He turned away once more, and shifted his scythe into his hand. "You can't hear me now, can you? Oh well."

Onic's attention suddenly shifted to the two horrified figures left in the room. In a blink of an eye he rushed up to the two, standing barely a foot from either.

"Since I'm here, Let's have a chat!" he said cheerfully to Danny, ignoring Valerie.

Danny drew back instantly from the ghost, fear etched into every line of his body. Beside him, Valerie jerked away in surprise, before recovering quickly.

"Hey ghost," she shouted through gritted teeth. "Chat about this!"

She threw her hands forwards, the two ecto-blaster cubes once again humming into life, energy crackling around them.

But their red glow suddenly vanished as they were encased in ice. Immediately afterwards a terrible chill raced up Valerie's legs as she too was covered in ice. She jerked her hands angrily, but her whole lower body and her forearms were immobilized, the cold of the ectoplasmic ice seeping through her suit.

"What the hell!?" Valerie yelped for what felt like the hundredth time that day. She blinked and looked up at Danny, whom once more had a hand outstretched, this time from encasing her in the ice.

And once more she was assaulted by his look of fear in his face – but this time there was more written in his expression. Worry? Concern?

"Please Val…" Danny murmured softly as he stared at the floor.

Onic gave her a brief strange look as Danny rolled his head towards her, still shaking.

"Don't!..." Danny stressed, the tension in his voice ordering her to shut up and let him handle… whatever was happening.

Apparently confident Valerie wouldn't make another move, Danny glanced worriedly back over to the ghost before him. Onic cocked his head curiously.

"As I was saying before the lass interrupted…" He looked Danny in the face. "Mr. Phantom. Do you remember me?"

"…Yes." Danny cringed suddenly, his hand coming lightly to his chest. "Yes. I remember you."

_Oh God…_He almost doubled over as the tiny ever-present twinge in his chest intensified tenfold, an odd nausea forming in its company.

_This pressure in my chest…_.

The familiar pain was dredging up old memories, things that shouldn't have happened, he didn't want to remember them, please don't make him remember…

"I…remem…" His hand came to his mouth as the pain made him retch. "Agh…"

Onic clapped his hands together, letting his scythe fall into the crook of his shoulder once more, apparently oblivious to Danny's distress.

"I see! Excellent. And here my partner kept insisting your mind had surely disintegrated entirely!"

His earlier cheerful tone had returned, but there was something wrong with it, something dangerous…

He jerked forwards suddenly and wrenched Danny's hand away from clutching his chest. He spoke again suddenly, his tone gradually getting darker.

"So now, let me tell you something. What we started all those years ago…"

He jabbed his finger into Danny's chest and leaned up to snarl into his face. All his former lightness was gone, and his tone was deadly.

"…We intend to finish. So stay in one piece, you _**abomination**_."

When Danny didn't respond, Onic leaner closer to him and stabbed his finger once more into the ghost's chest. Something flashed green through the fabric of Danny's suit.

"Understand?"

A blue ectoplasmic blast suddenly collided with the side of Onic's head, throwing the ghost across the room. He shouted in surprise and landed heavily on the ground before pushing himself up onto his elbow, peering behind him in bewilderment.

"Who did that?" He asked, puzzled.

" As directed on Page 157, article 4, paragraph 8…" the voice belonged to none other then Supervisor Marshall, who was stepping into the room through the remains of the doorway, a large hand-held ecto-cannon aimed straight at the two ghosts in question.

"As an escaped captive ghost and unidentified ectoplasmic intruder, I am entitled to open fire if one of you even twitches! He added voice commanding rather then it's usual monotone.

Onic, on his feet again, brought his hand to his forehead as he muttered about what a problem this was, while from behind a violently trembling Danny, Val shouted angrily at the GIW supervisor. "Hey! Supervisor! Help me get out of this stuff!"

The Supervisor gave her the barest glance before firing a blast at the ice encasing her. Her eyes widened.

"Whoa! Hey, wait–"

The ice shattered and she was thrown into the air, causing her to land on her back with a painful thud.

"–Ow. Yeah," she grimaced. "Thanks a lot." This was NOT her day!

Supervisor Marshall instantly turned his attention to the greatest threat – the unidentified ectoplasmic intruder. He fired a rapid volley of blasts which a shocked Onic only barely dodged.

"This is getting rather out of hand! Goodbye!" Onic huffed, sounding almost offended.

With that he took to the air, soaring straight upwards at the ceiling. Supervisor Marshall and the Valerie both sprinted to the place where he had stood. As they both aimed their weapons, Onic almost appeared to 'jump' into the shadow created in the corner by the junction of the walls and ceiling, vanishing as suddenly as he had appeared.

Marshall gritted his teeth. "Ms. Gray, is your ecto-scanner able to locate the unidentified ghost?"

Valerie quickly brought up the scanner on her arm, but her eyes widened in surprise. "Ah…I-I don't get it. My scanner can't pick his signal up," she looked at her boss. "He's vanished!"

With an annoyed scowl, Supervisor Marshall turned his attention (and his ecto-blaster) to the one quaking ghost remaining in the room.

"Surrender quietly, Phantom," he warned in a low voice. "Or I'll vaporize you."

Danny didn't seem to be paying attention, eyes trained ahead and lips trembling.

"I…this is…ah." He murmured nonsensically. The pressure in the center of his chest was steadily increasing, and with it was something else, like a white noise in the back of his mind.

Danny suddenly slumped onto his knees. Marshall studied him for a moment, the gun trained on his shaking back, before deciding he had heeded his warning.

"Smart choice, ghost. Stay where you are." He added as a precaution (as if it weren't clear already)

Danny gazed blankly at the floor. The 'white noise' in his head was turning into something else, something numbing and threatening. The pressure in his chest felt almost as if it were pulsing, a twisted heartbeat synchronised with the deadly nothingness eating at his mind. The glowing green of his eyes began to fade, his iris slowly turning grey and then black to match the rest of his eyes.

Danny watched Supervisor Marshall turn to Valerie with fading vision, the world going dark as the numbness in his mind became assisted by something else… an 'intention' that didn't belong to him…

"_Ms. Gray, use your suit to send a message to Agents 22A and 22B to immediately report to the lecture hall and to put Trooper Units 2 through 5 on stand-by_."

Danny heard the Supervisor speak through the black haze. His eyelids began to drop, and the image of Marshall and Val began to fade into the blackness.

"_Yeah, alright. Hold on a sec…_"

Danny wondered dimly if he would wake up from 'The Effect' this time, or if it would swallow him forever…

"_Ok, the message's been sent._"

The world was devoured by the black.

Suddenly Danny's hand shot up, his fingers wrapping around the end of the ecto-blaster pointed into his face. Supervisor Marshall straightened in shock, his head whipping around to look at Danny's sudden movement. Danny tightened his grip, the heavy metal crunching beneath his fingers. His expression was blank.

Danny lifted his head slowly.

The entirety of his eyes had turned an empty, empty black.

**So yeh, the next chapter is well underway and the next update should be much quicker this time (I hope). If you liked this, please R&R and the usual stuffs…**


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